


He Comes Out at Night

by tittiesbaek



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: "Boogieman"!Chanyeol, Blood and Violence, Human!Baekhyun, M/M, Mentions of Death, Mentions of Rape, Mild Gore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:35:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 39,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27145315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tittiesbaek/pseuds/tittiesbaek
Summary: Prompt:  O25Pairing: Chanyeol/BaekhyunMonster(s): Monster under the bedRating: MatureWarnings: Gore, Violence, Blood, Mentions of death and rapeWord Count: 34.6kPROMPT: The monster under the bed has a habit of coming out at night. However, his advances are quite ominous for what he really wants: a cuddle buddy uwu
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Park Chanyeol
Comments: 11
Kudos: 88
Collections: EXO MONSTERFEST 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my first time participating in a fest and I know I've butchered the prompt ;-; I hope the prompter forgives me. 
> 
> I would like to thank the mods for their hard work and patience. You guys are the sweetest! 
> 
> I would also like to thank my beta, Hana (@baekonyeolk614) for handling my spontaneous ass and encouraging me throughout the fest period.
> 
> I hope everyone enjoys reading ;3

** CHAP1 **

Baekhyun woke up with a throbbing head and a full bladder. He groaned as he stumbled out of bed, making his way to the bathroom, careful not to trip over the littered floor. He could barely see in the dark and his half-asleep state didn't help much as he lifted the toilet seat up to finish his business.

Baekhyun knew overworking himself was a bad idea, especially when he had frequent migraines.

Yet, he did because he wanted to forget everything. He couldn't live with the aching feeling in his chest anymore. He just wanted to _wake up_ from this bad dream.

Baekhyun missed his best friend, _Jongdae_.

Images of his best friend flashed through his mind. The way his dirty blond hair was scattered in multiple places, stained with dried _crimson_ blood. His eyes were shut, and his eyelashes rested on his pale bruised cheeks. His clothes, an olive-colored jumper, and some grey baggy pants were bloody. His body was slumped over, against the cold cave wall. A rose-gold triangle symbol carved on the cave wall was embedded on the side of his neck. And the _smell._ The smell was the most disgusting thing Baekhyun had ever smelled.

Nausea itched his throat and he tried to force down the bile, but it was too late. His stomach contracted violently, forcing everything out. His face was red and dripping bile, sweat, and tears. He lurched forward as his knees shook, almost falling inside the toilet bowl. But a pair of arms caught him, slowly sinking them onto the ground as his stomach contracted violently again. The hair stuck to his forehead was swopped back and he could feel a warm breath on his neck.

The pungent stench invaded his nostrils and he heaved even though there was nothing left to go. Tears clouded his vision and fatigue took over his body as he snuggled close to the warm body next to him. His eyes fell shut as he was lifted off the ground. 

“Get the plunger, DUMB ASS!” Jongdae yelled loudly, his voice booming through their shared apartment house.

A laugh escaped Baekhyun's mouth as he bends down to pick up a bright pink plunger before handing it to his best friend who was kneeling in front of the toilet staring down at the contents inside.

“Jeez, Baek! How many years has it been since you last took a shit?!” Jongdae asked before dropping the plunger a bit too violently, into the toilet. Few chunks of feces and toilet water splashed out landing perfectly on Jongdae's face.

A burst of high-pitched laughter leaves Baekhyun's throat as he falls onto his knees while Jongdae screams bloody murder.

Baekhyun wiped his tears and slowly raised his head to see a cold, empty, silent bathroom. The faint smile on his face disappeared as he looked around him. 

_Silence._

“Dae?” He called out before standing up to leave the bathroom but before he could do so, Baekhyun felt the realm tilt causing him to fall backward. His back hits the tub harshly and he lets out a painful groan. He rubbed his back, trying to soothe out the pain as he tried to get back on his feet.

But a pair of arms fell onto his lap.

His eyes snapped to the right to see Jongdae's body bloodied, slumped against the tub.

Baekhyun froze. Tears began to form as he tried to call out his friend's name, but his throat won't budge. He lifted his shaky hand to hold his friend's pale cheek but before he could do so, Jongdae's head snapped back up causing a painful crack.

Baekhyun's eyes widened as he watched Jongdae's eyes fly open. His pupils had rolled back, and his jaw slacked.

Baekhyun couldn't move. He wanted to run. He knew this wasn't his best friend, but his limbs were paralyzed. He opened his mouth to speak but the latter's hands darted towards his shoulders.

_“HE'S COMING FOR YOU! HE'S COMING FOR YOU!”_ A shrill voice escaped Jongdae's– no, the strange _being's_ mouth.

“MOVE AWAY! MOVE AWAY! MOVE!” _It_ screeched, shaking Baekhyun violently. 

Baekhyun's eyes snapped open, head throbbing, body shaking, and covered in a cold sweat. His heart pounded hard against his ribcage as he scanned around the room suspiciously as paranoia crept into his mind. His head began to pound harder.

With a shaky breath, he shifted his feet onto the cold wooden, _clean_ floor as he tried to ground himself.

_This dream again._ He thought to himself.

“Get ready in 10, we have to go.” Baekhyun's head snapped up to meet the doe-eyed man leaning against the door frame.

“W-Where are we going?” Baekhyun's voice sounded almost foreign. He cleared his throat.

He watched as his friend, Kyungsoo fidgeted, contemplating whether to speak or not. But then, he finally decided to, “It's about Jongdae.”

Baekhyun was now fully awake. All his senses started to heighten as every second passed by.

He watched Kyungsoo’s mouth move; his breath unstable as he tried to figure out the words spilling from his mouth.

Baekhyun's breath hitched in his throat as he processed the words. He heard his heart pound in his ears and his body started to tremble again. He didn't realize he was crying until he felt a thumb-slide over his cheek. 

“H-He's...” A sob escaped Baekhyun's lips and he lets his head drop to his hands. Kyungsoo wrapped his arms around Baekhyun's trembling body, pulling the older close as he continued to rub his back.

_Jongdae is alive._

Their ride to the hospital was a quiet one.

No one spoke a word. Kyungsoo occupied the passenger's seat while Baekhyun was at the back of the car, occupied with his thoughts. He wished he would've taken Jongdae’s place. Baekhyun’s family didn’t care about him, anyway.

Whereas Jongdae _did_. 

His overly affectionate and kind parents, who had nothing but love to offer, was in a state of disarray after discovering their son's horrible condition. His elder brother, who was working non-stop to find his missing brother, didn't get the closure he was hoping for when he saw the younger's body.

This was all _his_ fault, after all. He deserved to be in Jongdae's place.

Baekhyun recalled the events before Jongdae was reported missing. Both of them were in the middle of a heated argument when Jongdae walked out on him. How had the simple words, “You're unhappy, Baek and I'm worried about you”, led to them spitting fire at each other? Baekhyun doesn't know. 

However, what he does know is that he had fucked up badly. 

Coming home after earning an earful from his narcissistic client during a meeting to his friend’s nagging didn't make him feel any better. Maybe that's why he had snapped. But Jongdae was just looking out for him. He was trying to help his struggling friend yet Baekhyun had failed to see that.

Baekhyun knew from day one that being a freelancing book editor was going to be a tough one. Clients were rare, the pay was nothing above average and there were no benefits that would cover his expenses. But it was a comfortable job. He got to work from home most of the time and only had to step out if the client wanted to further discuss the contents in the book. Baekhyun was good with words and that was the reason he got into this line of work. 

Yet, he chose the worst ones while arguing with his best friend, adding more fuel to the already burning and heated fire.

Baekhyun closed his eyes. He hoped he could put an end to this, somehow.

Kyungsoo gently tapped Baekhyun's arm, snapping him out of his thoughts. “We're here.” He informed. Baekhyun nodded as he unfastened his seat belt, his face expressionless but his heart bared all the emotion.

Kyungsoo guided Baekhyun inside, the pungent smell of disinfectant made Baekhyun scrunch his nose. The latter stayed by his side until they reached the second floor. A figure was hunched over on one of the seats outside, his hands over his face, his shoulders trembling as he silently cried.

Baekhyun watched as Kyungsoo ran towards his boyfriend, wrapping his arms around the taller. “It's going to be okay, Nini.” He heard him whisper to him. Baekhyun decided not to disrupt their moment and continued to walk towards the room, his hands shaking by his side. He took a deep breath and peeked into the room through the glass window.

There Jongdae was, plugged into various machines surrounding him to keep him alive. 

_At least he looked peaceful from the last time he had seen him,_ Baekhyun thought.

He hadn't noticed the presence inside the room until the person got closer to Jongdae's bed to rest his head against his friend's chest. 

Baekhyun immediately recognized the red-haired man as _Junmyeon_ , Jongdae’s _elder brother._

The bags under his eyes, his sunken cheeks, his unshaven face, and his slumped posture caused a shaky breath to leave Baekhyun's mouth as he tried to swallow the irritating lump in his throat. 

Jongdae's family treated Baekhyun like their own and he always felt that way as well. So, seeing Junmyeon in a miserable state hurt him.

Baekhyun didn't expect Junmyeon to turn around and lock his gaze on him. Baekhyun swallowed nervously, unable to look away. Within a blink of an eye, he was out the door and in front of Baekhyun, staring at him in shock.

Baekhyun's lips quivered, “H-Hyung, I'm–” the rest of the words were muffled on Junmyeon's shoulder. The older’s hands wrapped tightly around Baekhyun's trembling shoulders. "It's not your fault, Baekhyunah." He spoke.

Junmyeon slowly pulled away and patted the younger's head, affectionately with a small smile grazing his tear-stained face. “He would be happy to hear your voice.” He said softly as he wiped his face.

Baekhyun chewed on his bottom lip to stop the sob that was threatening to escape from his throat. He nodded, unable to form an answer. Junmyeon stepped aside to let Baekhyun in. He encouragingly squeezed the younger's shoulder.

With another release of a shaky breath, Baekhyun took small steps towards the door. He pushed it open and the scent of lavender air freshener filled his nostrils. His eyes immediately fell on the person who was in deep slumber. A choked sob threatened to leave Baekhyun's dry throat. But he swallowed it before occupying the cushioned seat in front of the bed.

“Dae, it's me.” 

He lifted his trembling hands and clasped them onto Jongdae's before laying his head against his torso. 

_“I'm sorry.”_ A mere whisper left his mouth, followed by a loud ugly sob.

A string of incoherent words, hiccups, and tears left Baekhyun. He could feel all the emotions all at once. He doubted if it was because he hadn't cried till he was numb until now. He held himself back because he didn't want to believe that _all this_ had happened to his best friend.

A brief silence weighed heavily in the air.

Baekhyun slowly shut his eyes, his body and mind drained. He grazed his fingers over his best friend's palm, as he sniffed loudly. With a small smile on Baekhyun's face, he relives the moments the two of them had during their college days.

Junmyeon insisted on driving them back. Kyungsoo and Jongin had occupied the back seat, the younger's head resting on Kyungsoo's lap. 

Baekhyun learned that Jongdae had suffered from a traumatic brain injury, caused by the attacker. The doctor had further explained that currently he was in a coma and that there were rare chances of recovery, worrying him more.

Baekhyun was disappointed to find out that there were no fingerprints or shreds of evidences left behind which complicated the case and the investigation team was at a dead end. He also realized that Jongdae and Jongin were colleagues who taught primary kids for two years together before his colleague got promoted to middle school. Baekhyun hadn't missed the way Jongin's eyes sparkled as he spoke about his friend.

“He played cupid to set both of us.” Jongin laughed softly at the fond memory, his hand tightening around his boyfriend's. "I remember walking in with hyung and I was so mesmerized by the owner of this fancy café that I barely paid any attention to what Jongdae hyung had been saying." He sniffed and let out another airy chuckle. 

“He even invited both of us to this restaurant and fed Soo all these lies about me so he would be impressed.” Kyungsoo smiled as he swiped his thumb under his boyfriend's eyes. 

“I don't believe they were lies, well...except for the fact that you can cook really good ravioli. That was the worst lie.” They laugh, “But even if that was the case, I wouldn't care because I had my eyes on you the moment, I saw you laugh in my café.” They giggled quietly before sharing a kiss, too lost in the moment to realize the company of others.

Baekhyun and Junmyeon awkwardly looked away, one's eyes back on the road while the other fixated on the view outside the window.

Baekhyun recalled how Jongdae had come home one night, all thrilled about a new café opening across the street from them. Finally, he had a reason to not travel 30 minutes to the city to grab breakfast every morning before going for work. He even took Baekhyun during their grand opening and ordered every item in the menu which they split and happily savored.

That's when they met Kyungsoo, the doe-eyed owner who was the MasterChef (and the mastermind) behind the business, _Soofé_

Baekhyun didn't know much about the man except for the fact that he loves cooking and often packed dinner for both Jongdae and Baekhyun when they get too busy with work. He was thankful that Jongdae had better social skills than he did, at times like that.

After Baekhyun had filed a missing person’s report, he planned to move back to his old apartment, in the outskirts of Bucheon. Kyungsoo and Jongin offered to help him and made sure to check on him to make sure he was living well. Baekhyun knew it was hard for the café owner to drive back and forth so they decided it would be best to visit during weekends. He even cleaned up after Baekhyun but, eventually talked the older into taking care of himself and his surroundings. The younger had bought him a small speaker to play music while he cleaned to encourage the older.

However, once Jongdae’s body was discovered, Baekhyun found himself back in a slump. Kyungsoo got busy with the café and couldn’t check up on him physically but he sent texts instead. But Baekhyun couldn’t text him back, just yet. He had lost all hope after seeing his best friend in a disfigured condition, he thought he wouldn’t make it.

But today, said _otherwise._

“How are you, Baekhyun? It's been a while since you visited.” Junmyeon's voice broke his train of thought. Baekhyun cleared his throat and sat up straight, “Uh, I'm fine. Just busy with work. How's aunt and uncle?” He asked, his gaze on the red-haired man. 

Junmyeon forced a smile, “They're hanging in there. You should visit sometime. They miss you after the two of you moved out.” He said as he reached out to pat Baekhyun's shoulder, a small smile on his lips.

“You should move back in.”

Baekhyun nodded timidly, “I'll think about it.” He mumbled quietly. 

The truth is he was afraid to face them. He wanted to be there and comfort them when Jongdae had gone missing, but he simply couldn't because he blamed himself for their son's unfortunate state.

“Ah, turn right here, hyung. The second building is the apartment where he lives.” Kyungsoo quickly directed Junmyeon before he missed the turn.

“Oh, s-sorry. Here would be fine, hyung.” Baekhyun pointed at the street away from his apartment. “If you go further in, it would be hard for you to turn back. The roads are narrow here.” He added. Junmyeon nodded and mumbled 'Okay' as he halted the car. Baekhyun unbuckled his seat belt and exchanged goodbyes before exiting the vehicle. 

“Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun ducked his head back into the vehicle.

“They do miss you, Baekhyunah. Think about what I said, okay?” A soft smile grazed the older's face, wrinkles decorating the corner of his eyes. Baekhyun simply nodded and gave him a tight-lipped smile. “Take care, hyung.” He said quietly before shutting the door of the vehicle and walked to his apartment.

Baekhyun entered his quiet apartment, shrugging off his jacket, shoes, and socks before heading to his kitchen. He knew hopping into the shower would be a bad idea as his mind was completely disorganized.

Baekhyun was settled on the wooden floor comfortably, as his fingers danced across the keyboard. He only stopped to take sips of his coffee or to re-read the draft.

He decided to focus on work until his mind cleared up.

Baekhyun hadn't noticed the room was pitch black dark until his stomach lets out a loud growl. The only source of light in the room was being emitted from his laptop screen. 

Baekhyun quickly saved the document he was working on before stretching his tired limbs. He lets out a satisfied groan before standing up, almost stumbling in the dark as he tried to find the switch on the wall.

A sigh of relief left Baekhyun's mouth as he managed to switch the lights on. The sudden bright light made him squint as he tried to adjust to it. He noticed a brief movement from his peripheral vision. Baekhyun's head snapped towards that direction and eyes fall on another pair. 

“Took you long enough.” A deep voice left the pink-haired man's throat and Baekhyun was almost mesmerized by the sound.

“W-Who are you?” Baekhyun questioned as he stepped back, his fingers slowly brushing against the base of the worn-out wooden bat behind him.

Baekhyun took his time to observe the handsome intruder who was now stepping out of his covers, bruises decorating the side of his face, his clothes seemed _odd_ yet fashionable like he was ready to walk the ramp.

But what struck Baekhyun the most was his eyes; one was blue and the other was off-white. A shiver ran down the smaller's spine.

_They look lifeless._

“Done staring?” The deep voice resonated within the four walls of the room. Baekhyun looked away quickly, a slight red tint coated his cheeks.

“I asked you a question.” Baekhyun spat out as his grip tightened around the object. The smaller's mouth twitched in irritation when the taller gave him an amused smile. He watched as he threw his hands up in defense.

“I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to _help_ –”

“That's not what I asked you.” Baekhyun's breathing was ragged as he sends daggers through his eyes. The taller male's shoulders droop in defeat and he lets out a sigh.

“Chanyeøl.”

Baekhyun continued to eye him suspiciously, ready to attack.

“Okay, _Chanyeul_ , how did you get inside my house?” Baekhyun asked in a mocking tone. Chanyeøl hesitated for a moment before he spoke. “Uhh...f-from under here.” His eyes followed the latter's finger.

“From under my bed?” Baekhyun raised his eyebrow and squinted at him. “You know what. I don't care. Just get out before I call the cops.”

“I'm here to help you–”

Baekhyun cuts him off sharply,“I don't need your help. I can do my job alone, just fine.”

“It's not about your job, it's about–”

Baekhyun launched himself towards the taller, bat aimed right for his head but Chanyeøl had already seen it coming. His hand shot out to hold the bat while the other held Baekhyun's waist firmly, preventing the smaller from getting any closer.

Before Baekhyun could kick Chanyeøl in the shin, he felt his hand getting warm for a split second and the weight of the bat disappeared. His eyes widened as he glanced down at the ashes that lay by their feet.

_What the fuck?!_

Chanyeøl decided to take advantage of Baekhyun's distracted form, by pulling him into his arms and pinning him onto the wooden floor. “ _Please_ listen to me–” Before Chanyeøl could complete his sentence, Baekhyun's hips pressed sharply against his and he was toppled to the side, a curse slipping through the latter’s lips as Baekhyun quickly pinned the taller's arms onto the floor, his knees resting on either side of Chanyeøl's waist.

Baekhyun was now panting heavily as he tightened the grip around the latter's wrists. He watched as a small smirk crawled onto the taller's face.

“What the fuck are you and what do you want?!” Baekhyun spat out harshly, “You better answer nicely otherwise you're going to taste my fist.” He warned as he raised his fist against the taller's face.

Chanyeøl dared to let out a small chuckle which only infuriated Baekhyun even more.

“I'm a _monster_. From under your bed.” Chanyeøl's chin jutted briefly towards Baekhyun's bed, “I'm here to find a _cuddle buddy_.” He deadpanned, his face morphing into a serious one.

A brief silence passed by them before a deep chuckle broke through the air. Baekhyun didn't miss the way taller's eyes shrunk and his pearly whites were perfectly displayed. He felt his breath hitch in his throat for a moment.

Baekhyun quickly snapped himself out of his trance before lifting his arm aiming for the monster's throat. He watched as Chanyeøl's eyes widened and he spluttered, “I'm here to help you save Jongdae!” An ugly shriek left his mouth as he cowered in fear.

Baekhyun's grip almost slacked as he heard his friend's name slip from the monster's mouth. “H-How do you know him...?” Baekhyun watched as Chanyeøl's face fell before he masked it with a sad smile. “I'm the reason why he's in that state.”

Baekhyun stared at the taller in disbelief, his fist immediately colliding on the side of the monster's face. 

A loud groan erupted from the latter's mouth as he held the side of his face, curling towards one side in pain. The smaller's eyes widened when the monster's eyes flashed a _scarlet-red_ color, his hands morphing into claws only for a moment before it transformed back.

Baekhyun's breath started to get shallow, his eyes started to blur with tears, his hands trembling as he slowly stood up, backing away from the monster. 

He punched a _fucking monster_.

_“G-Get ice...”_ A shrill voice commanded as flames erupted from the ground, surrounding the form on the floor. Baekhyun watched in awe as the flames danced around him, getting bigger and bigger at every second.

_“QUICKLY!”_ He yelled weakly causing the flames to spread generously till Baekhyun's feet.

Baekhyun fumbled about before sprinting out the room towards the kitchen. He scurried back with two trays of ice cubes to witness his entire room burning.

Yet, there was no sign of smoke.

_“T-Throw it...in_ – _”_ The voice was barely recognizable and audible through the thick crackling fire but Baekhyun's sharp senses caught on to it and he reacted quickly by launching the ice cubes onto the subtle outline of the burning monster. 

A sharp hiss was heard shortly after and the fire started to contract. Baekhyun continued the action until the fire was completely extinguished and he was out of ice cubes. 

Baekhyun was out of breath when he entered his warm room, carefully looking around. His gaze fell on the slender pale hand with large claws from under his bed. But before Baekhyun could process what he had seen, it switched into a human hand and Chanyeøl was out from under his bed, slightly dazed.

“Sorry about that. Are you hurt?” The monster’s voice was slightly hoarse. He looked up to meet the smaller’s eyes. Baekhyun froze for a minute before he slowly shook his head. He noticed that the bruises on the side of the taller's face were dried but the other side was now pink and starting to swell.

Baekhyun couldn’t understand why he felt guilt clawing his chest.

“Okay, good.” A small chuckle of relief escaped the taller's mouth, “I haven't _eaten_ in a long time either which just makes it even harder to– hey...what's wrong?” Chanyeøl paused his rambling and stared at the human with concern.

Baekhyun felt this sudden rush of emotions causing his petite form to tremble. He hated that he was going to cry in front of a random monster that almost killed his friend, but his tears escaped his eyes before he could even stop them. A loud, painful sob bubbled up his throat and left his lips as his legs gave out and he dropped to the floor, his hands shooting up to cover his wet face.

Soon, a familiar warmth wrapped around his shaking figure in a comforting embrace.

“I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you like that. I just couldn't control it a-and I swear I didn't come here to hurt you. I just wanted to help out but if you want me to leave, I understand.” The monster spoke in a rushed tone.

“But please believe me when I say this, Jongdae _needs_ you. I made a huge mistake and I deeply regret it and right now, we don't have much time to save him. I promise I'll leave after Jongdae's back. I won't bother you again if that's what you want.”

Baekhyun didn't know monsters could be this nice. He thought they were sadistic, ruthless, and lacked empathy but here he was questioning the legitimacy of all the horror stories, creepy legends, and theories he had read over the years.

But there was something he couldn't shake off. The _familiarity_ of the taller's presence around him.

Baekhyun’s felt like he's felt the same warmth before.

A shaky gasp left his mouth as he pulled away slightly to look at the taller's startled expression. “What's w-wrong?” He questioned; the voice was gentle.

“You're the one who put me in bed last night.” Baekhyun blurted out, his eyes wide in realization.

_It wasn't a dream after all._

He watched the taller's face turn red, his ears even redder as he rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.

“Uh, yeah. I just wanted to make sure you're okay.”

“But why?” Baekhyun didn't know why he was being so nice. “You're a _monster_ , why would you do that?”

Chanyeøl opened his mouth but shut it quickly before rubbing a hand over the side of his face. “I-I don't know. I'm not like the other monsters and I know that sounds weird, but I can't get myself to hurt innocent people.” Baekhyun pushed himself out of his grip, “What about, Jongdae then?” His voice broke slightly but he managed to stay composed.

“ _That_ was an accident!” Chanyeøl snapped. He mumbled a small apology before continuing, “I was trying to help him, but he just wouldn't listen–”

“So, you tortured him?” Baekhyun snapped back, crossing his arms over his chest.

Chanyeøl frowned and looked at the smaller in confusion. “Tortured? He was tortured?”

Now it was Baekhyun's turn to be confused. 

_Why didn't the monster know what happened to his friend if he was the one who caused it? Unless, if he's playing him..._

“You're playing around, isn't it? You need something else from me, right? I knew it! I knew you monsters–”

"If I needed something from you, I could have taken it a long time ago whether you liked it or not!" His voice boomed loudly, his eyebrows frowning in anger. He ran his hand through his hair before huffing out a breath, “All I need you to do right now is trust me. I'll explain everything along the way. Jongdae needs to see the world again, that's the only way...” Chanyeøl trailed off as his face hardened. 

Baekhyun noticed a black lining settling in the corner of Chanyeøl's eyes which the taller quickly blinked away.

_Are those monster tears?_

“Fine. I believe you.” Baekhyun sighed as he rubbed his tear-stained cheeks. Chanyeøl's eyes grew in shock, his mouth falling open. “R-Really?”

Baekhyun nodded before speaking, “But the moment I feel like something's off, I'm backing out and I don't want to see you again. Are we clear?”

Chanyeøl nodded frantically, “I'll explain everything–”

“Not now. I need to eat something first.” Baekhyun croaked out as he rubbed his hands on his face in an exhausted manner before standing up slowly, slightly swaying from fatigue. 

Chanyeøl made sure the latter didn't bump his nose onto walls while they made their way into the kitchen.

Baekhyun quickly fixed himself a meal; instant ramen noodles with a boiled egg. He hoisted himself onto the countertop, careful not to bump his head on the cabinets beside him, before shifting the warm bowl onto his hands. He slurped half the contents in the bowl, his cheeks protruding as he chewed loudly. His eyes naturally fell on the presence in front of him who was leaning against the opposite counter, arms crossed, watching him since the beginning with a weird smile plastered on his face. 

“You're making me uncomfortable.” He said as he gulped the food down.

The smile on the taller's face immediately dropped and he cleared his throat before looking away.

Thick awkward tension filled the air and Baekhyun decided to break it.

“Tell me everything. What are you exactly? Why did you almost kill Jongdae?”

Baekhyun almost missed the way Chanyeøl pouted at the way he had phrased his statement. 

“I'm a _monster_ like I had said earlier. _Our_ existence began when a priest back in the 1500s took advantage of his title and harassed children. So, as punishment he was cursed, and he served as the King of Monsters for a long time before his son took over. And about Jongdae, _I_ didn’t want to curse him, either. I had no choice but to do so.”

Baekhyun rolled his eyes and scoffed loudly at his last statement but didn’t say anything.

“What?”

“Nothing.” He slurped the noodles and chewed loudly. 

Chanyeøl decided to ignore that for now. “Anything else you want to know?”

Baekhyun hummed in response as he gulped down the contents in his mouth, “Monsters can have children?” 

Chanyeøl nodded, "But not completely their own. The child would be half-human because monsters can't bear children. Their body just isn't built for it.”

“So, the priest _fucked_ a human?”

Chanyeøl laughed at Baekhyun's bluntness. “It's even worse, actually. He raped a _human child_ and once she gave birth, he ate her.”

Baekhyun almost spat out the food in his mouth, his eyes widening, anger surging through his mind. 

_How could they do that to a child?_

Chanyeøl noticed the expression on the smaller’s face. “Maybe we should continue this conversation after you finish. There's a lot of weird shit that has happened. I’ll be in your room.” He walked out of the kitchen as Baekhyun scowled before gulping down the broth and settling the bowl into the sink. 

He quickly washed the bowl before placing it back in its place. He wiped his hands on the towel before walking back to his room, eyes starting to droop.

Baekhyun's eyes darted towards the clock; _2:08 am_. It wasn't his usual bedtime, but everything that he had to go through today, was physically and mentally draining for him.

From meeting Jongdae and Junmyeon to dealing with a monster from under his bed.

A yawn escaped Baekhyun's mouth as he stretched his limbs.

“Tired already? I barely spoke, though?” Chanyeøl teased from the bed, a small pout ghosting his lips.

Baekhyun rolled his eyes before plopping himself on the bed next to the taller. “Has anyone told you that you're annoying?” He slurred, rubbing his fist over his eyes brutally. Chanyeøl simply snickered at that.

“I'll spare the details for now and tell you the important bits. Once a monster has cursed a human being, their soul leaves earth and enters a completely different realm before they take a different form with powers. Whereas the body on earth goes into a vegetative state until the monster form is brought to earth and the monster who cursed them undoes the curse. Oh, there's also a limited period where the curse can be undone. Are you with me?”

Baekhyun nodded. He licked his dry lips before asking, “So, hypothetically speaking, what happens if you don't undo the curse within the time limit?”

Chanyeøl nervously shifted his gaze to his hands, “Everyone around them will lose their memories and eventually the person's existence will be forgotten completely.”

Baekhyun noticed how the monster's lifeless eyes were displaying sadness for a moment before they went back to looking lifeless.

“How much time do we have left?”

“Not much, considering it took a long time to find his body.”

Baekhyun frowned as he exhaled through his nose. “Isn't that your fault? You shouldn't have kept him in the cave!” The smaller yelled.

“You think I did that to him? I was trying to protect him but all he did was push me away!” Chanyeøl yelled back.

“You said that you're the one who cursed him? Now you're saying you were protecting him? I don't get it, Chanyeøl!” Baekhyun was now confused and conflicted.

“Someone else was trying to curse and _feed_ on him. I was trying to get him away from that other monster and I ended up cursing him. I wasn't the one who tortured him, it was–” Chanyeøl stopped himself before continuing, “It was _another_ monster. He wanted to feed on a kind soul.”

Baekhyun stared at the monster for a beat too long before he lets out a sigh, his face falling onto his hands. “I'm sorry for yelling. I'm just frustrated with _all this.”_

Chanyeøl hummed quietly and mumbled an, ‘I understand.’

“Will you tell me more about the different kinds of souls and other stuff, tomorrow?” Baekhyun asked quietly, his gaze fixed on his lap.

Chanyeøl's head shot up along with his ears. “Uh, y-yeah, sure.” 

“Also, about the history of monsters. Oh, the priest dude is such a dick and I want to know if he got the end he deserved.”

A wide smile made its way to the taller's mouth before a loud laugh escaped his throat, startling the smaller slightly before a small smile grazed his lips as well.

“I'll tell you all about it tomorrow. You should go to bed now, you look tired.” Chanyeøl said before standing up. He held onto the side of Baekhyun's bed before sliding his legs under the bed.

“Chanyeøl.”

The taller slid back out and stared at the source of the sound, who was now tucked comfortably under the covers, cheek squished against the soft pillow.

“ _Baekhyun. Byun Baekhyun._ That's my name.”

"Alright, amateur _James Bond_ , I'll see you tomorrow." Baekhyun chuckled softly and Chanyeøl slid back under the bed, a wave of heat, brushing against his skin.

✧


	2. Chapter 2

** CHAP2 **

↯

A gush of cold wind brushed his pale skin, causing a shiver to run up his spine. His mouth and throat were dry and ached as he tried to breathe through his mouth. He felt heavyweights on his eyelids and was unable to open them.

A bright red color invaded his dark vision before hushed whispers filled his hearing. 

The hushed whispers only got louder over time.

_“Chën! Chën! Chën!”_

It sounded almost like a chant which confused him further. Another gush of cold wind tickled his skin before sharp throbbing shot through his entire body, starting from his head to his toes. 

A loud slam startled him, and he snapped his attention towards a short figure with short blonde hair, his hands lingering on the door handle for a while before he turned on his heels and stomped away. 

His feet decided to follow the seemingly familiar man.

After mindlessly walking for more than thirty minutes, he found himself in the middle of an empty street, hiding behind an alleyway as he watched the man interact with two tall men; one, pink-haired and the other raven, their voices booming through the empty street. The black-haired man shifts closer towards the short male, extending his hand towards him.

He noticed a colorless sphere float around the raven-haired man's fingers, within a blink of an eye, the pink-haired man pushes onto the blond man's chest and he yelps in pain, falling on the ground, harshly.

With one wave of the raven-haired man's hand, he flew sharply back, passing beside _him_ , causing his form to get sucked in, morphing into the blond man's body.

His back hits the rocky wall harshly and he felt all the air knocked out of his body as he slumped forward, groaning in pain. His ears were ringing, and his limbs ached.

The cold, chilly wind hit his face as he looked up at the looming figure, towering over him.

“I haven't had dessert in _ages._ ”

The form in front of him caused fear to bloom through his chest.

The figure was extremely slender and tall with gritty red skin, an elongated head rounded white eyes and a wide mouth filled with nail-like teeth. It had claws for hands and talons for feet.

The being crouched down and brushed his sharp claw over his face. “Unfortunately, I can't eat your _sweet_ soul because of that bastard!” He yelled in frustration causing him to flinch.

A wicked smile quickly took over its face as it slid its crooked claw towards the man's chest.

“But _I can_ feed on your flesh!” 

A heavy sob left his mouth as he felt a sharp pain piercing the middle of his chest. Tears brimmed the corner of his widened eyes as he heaved a breath.

He tried to push the man away with whatever energy he had left in him, but it resulted in him getting punched and scratched across his face.

He slumped against the cold, hard floor, tears down his face as he felt dread filling his mind.

_He was going to die. He was going to die without being able to say sorry to–_

Another raging pain shot through his chest, slowly spreading towards his lower limbs as he screamed and thrashed violently on the floor. His body was stinging all over, blood oozing out from his chest, nose, cheeks, and ears. 

He began to feel dizzy as he blinked slowly, trying to stay awake. _“H-Help me...”_ He whispered. 

Soon, he felt his body going numb before darkness took over his vision.

Silence filled his senses again as he tried to control his ragged breath.

_“Chën! Chën! Chën!”_

Hushed whispers filled his hearing again and it seemingly got louder, his head started to throb and red flashed his vision again, except this time, he could see an outline of someone with short black, middle-parted hair, a sliver lip-piercing connecting to his ear.

He wanted to scream and move away but felt tied down; _paralyzed_.

Suddenly he felt the weight around his eyes being lifted. His eyes naturally opened, and it fell on the dimpled-man with dark lips, smoked eyes, a sliver lip-piercing, and a deep scar across his cheek. He was dressed in a black sleeveless top with a pair of leather pants and bomber boots.

“You're awake.” He offered a polite smile.

His eyes scanned the surrounding around him. The small room had hard, rocky, and cracked walls filled with shiny, thick green colored liquid which traveled towards the ceiling where a small whirlpool was churning in a circular motion. The liquid had a slight glow to which was probably used to light up the room.

“W-Where am I?” His voice came out heavy and almost unfamiliar.

The man helped him sit up straight on the rusty, makeshift bed, and offered him some grey sparkling liquid in a weirdly shaped cup. He eyed the drink suspiciously before looking up at the man.

“It's not poison, I promise.” He lets out a hearty chuckle.

He presses the cup to his lips before gulping the contents down.

Sweetness invaded his tongue and he let out a sound in satisfaction.

_“Welcome fellow monster.”_

A surge of energy passed through his veins for a moment, leaving a tingling sensation throughout his body.

_Monster?_

“M-Monster? What do you mean by monster?” He stuttered as he looked up at the smiling man.

“I know you have a lot of questions and that you're confused but we have to wait for–”

“He's awake?” A high-pitched voice cuts him off. Their attention shifts to a tall woman in a tight black dress with a thigh-slit, exposing the side of her leg. Her dark hair rests perfectly on her bare shoulders. Her eyes were small, almost cat-like, nose thin and long, cheekbones high and prominent. She had a deep scar just like the man, but it was on her right shoulder and the side of her forehead.

Her entire aura screamed ‘ _elegance’_ and he was mesmerized by it.

She walked towards the dimpled man before planting a kiss on his lips. She turned towards him and her smile widened, her eyes glowing a pale-yellow color.

“Welcome.” She greeted politely. “I'm Zäl and this is Läy.” The woman pointed at the tall man, _“my boyfriend.”_ She said in a teasing tone. His gaze shifted towards the said boyfriend who was smirking at him.

He looked away quickly, a small blush decorating his pale cheeks.

“Do you know your name?” Zäl asked. He frowned at the question.

_His name? Of course, he'd remember it._

He thought long and hard to remember his name.

But he couldn't.

_His name_. He couldn't remember _his name_.

Panic began to settle in his chest but Läy's gentle hand pressed against his forehead, snapping him out of his trance.

" _Chën._ That's your name. You heard it in your nightma– I mean _dream,_ didn't you?" She questioned. He nodded slowly as a response. 

_His_ name is _Chën._

Her red lips stretched into a sweet smile. " _Good._ Do you know how you got here?"

Scenes that he had witnessed (or rather experienced) flashed through his head all at once, making him slightly dizzy.

“It's _him_. _He's_ the one who tortured him.” Her voice was merely a whisper, eyes glowing brighter.

Chën's eyes shot up as he stared at the woman in confusion. “W-What are you talking about? I didn't do anything!”

“Did you see a mons– a man with dark hair, maybe a rose-gold triangle symbol on the side of their neck?”

Chën thought for a while before answering, “There was someone with dark hair and he or _whatever that thing is_ , was the one that attacked me. And as for a rose gold symbol, I didn't see any.”

“That's _him_. He's the one.” Zäl spoke in a stern tone, her face hard and expressionless as she stared at the shorter.

“He's still alive?! How?” Läy almost shouted, eyes bulging out in shock.

Zäl's eyes stopped glowing before she closed them shut. She lets out a frustrated sigh as she brushes her hair away from her face. “I don't know...he should be dead by now, but I think he found a loophole.” Her gaze shifted to Läy's.

“We–”

“Can someone _please_ tell me what's going on?”

Their attention was now on the new monster in front of them. They share a look before Zäl dragged a disgorged chair to sit on while Läy leans on the bumpy wall behind him.

“You remember meeting a pink-haired stranger, do you?” Chën nodded slowly.

“He was trying to save you from that black-haired man. He was trying to get you back from _him_. His name is Chanyeøl.”

_“Chanyeøl?”_

“Yes, Chanyeøl. He's the current King of Monsters.” She explained. Chën's eyes widened as his gaze shifted from Zäl to Läy, constantly.

“Don't worry, we're not going to hurt you. You're one of us now.”

“W-What do you mean? I'm a monster too?”

Zäl nodded, “You have a strong power as well.”

Chën burst out laughing as the two monsters stare at him, concern evident in their eyes.

He noticed how quiet the two monsters were and shut up immediately. “O-Oh you're serious?” Zäl raised her eyebrow before harshly grabbing his arm and dug her long red nails into his skin.

Chën yelped loudly and snatched his arm out of her grip. “WHAT ARE YOU–” A wave of energy jolted through his body which soon turned into dull aches. A groan left his mouth when he felt sharp pricks against his skin which shocked him now and then. He felt thirsty, hungry, warm, and cold all at the same time and it only angered him even more.

“Now that's more like it!” Chën's attention fell on the woman beside him who was smiling proudly.

"W-What's happening to me?" His voice, gruff and heavy.

Läy waved his hand in front of him and a reflective surface formed from thin air. His breath hitched in his throat at the sight in front of him.

_Claws, talons, gritty grey skin._

He looked exactly like the _thing_ that attacked him except he had pale blue eyes and gritty grey skin instead.

A wild shriek left his mouth as his breath ragged.

"This is your _true form_. You are a monster just like everyone else in this oubliette. The sooner you accept that the easier it'll be for everyone else." Zäl said in a serious tone, the softness in her eyes was now gone.

"The only reason you're here with us, away from the other monsters is that Chanyeøl wanted it that way. He said he knew how to take you back to the _human_ realm. If it weren't for him, you would've been harassed by the other monsters until your true form is forced out of you. They would make you fight until you're dripping blood."

Chën gulped nervously, unable to respond. He just lowered his head instead.

"That monster who tortured you wanted your soul. Your soul was the last thing he needed before he threw his responsibilities away. That's why Chanyeøl had to curse you to save you from him. That was the only way you could go back to earth."

Zäl's eyes began to glow again.

_"Byun Baekhyun."_

Images of a brunette man with droopy eyes, a boxy smile, and round cheeks filled his mind. He felt an ache in his chest as he saw the last encounter he had with the man.

_His best friend, who he had hurt and now couldn't even apologize to._

"You can apologize to him. You can get back, but we have to wait for Chanyeøl. He went to meet your friend because only he can help you."

And he hoped his friend would help him get out.

Chën learned a lot about monsters over time. He learned how to switch from half-human to monster form, how to control it, and his power; lightning. He also discovered that monsters acquired different powers. Läy had the power to heal and destroy, Zäl had the power to read minds and shape-shift, his new smart monster-friend, Xiūmin had the power to freeze things and he often teases by calling him ‘ _Elsa’_ which results in Chën’s tongue to be frozen.

Chën also met the King Chanyeøl, who everyone was gushing about since his arrival. He was surprised when the taller monster got on his knees and apologized. They were awkward at the beginning but eventually, Chën began to open up after Chanyeøl took him for his first soul-hunting. He was hesitant at first but Chanyeøl helped him through it, reassuring him that the young adult was simply a threat to society as he had killed his parents and few of his friends purely out of satisfaction. He had also explained how he managed to get away with it by planting it smoothly on random innocent adults and was now planning on ending his foster parents’ lives.

When Chën had cursed the man and consumed his soul, he felt satisfied and the guilt disappeared in an instant. 

He also found out that all monsters killed misbehaving children and adults before consuming their soul, but things changed after Chanyeøl became King as he believed wicked children could change if they’re given the proper help. 

He was shocked to learn that Chanyeøl had lived without cursing a single child and only consumed an adult’s soul.

“Adults’ souls have different flavors except for sweetness. That’s kind of rare to find in an adult but it’s the most common flavor in a child because their innocence never dies until they grow up.” Chanyeøl had explained to him. “But it’s simply disgusting to hurt a child.” Chën had strongly agreed and was glad that the King made such changes.

Chën had also learned about the heartbreaking history of how monsters began and cheered in victory when he heard that the wicked man was dethroned and killed by his son.

The smaller also learned that _the son_ was the one who cursed the current king and barely visited the evil realm. He went on a cursing spree and that's when everyone realized his intention. 

He wanted a wish to be granted.

After _three million_ claimed souls and tortured bodies later, he had one last quest to finish before his wish was granted; _torture a pure soul cursed by the King._

That's when he announced Chanyeøl to be the next _King_ before accepting the quest.

However, he never visited the realm for the longest time and monsters assumed that he was dead until now. He had managed to trick the King to curse Chën so he could torture his form before he could detach himself from the oubliette for good.

Chën didn't know whether to feel special or not when Xiūmin had connected the dots.

“No one knows what his wish was and how he still managed to survive without feeding on souls for almost a year. But I guess it's for the best. He wasn't a responsible King and never cared for us, unlike Chanyeøl.” He said.

“Why wouldn't you tell me his name, though? I spent hours describing his entire form in detail for you to build this sculpture–”

“ _Chënnie_ , I already told you I don't know his name. Even if I do, I'm not allowed to say it. That's the only rule in this oubliette.”

“What about cursing innocent souls? I thought that was forbidden as well?”

_“It is_. That's why some monsters have deep scars in the most vulnerable parts of the monster's form. Some have missing claws, talons, teeth, or maybe even eyes. That's why _he_ had a deep scar across his face.” Xiūmin explained as he dragged his claw on the sculpture's eye.

He took a few steps back from the crystal form and his claw retracted, before shifting his gaze to the sulking monster.

“I'll give you all my souls for dinner if that makes you happy?”

Chën's head snapped up and his eyes beamed, his mouth began to water. “Really?”

Xiūmin rolled his eyes at the puppy in front of him. “Yeah, sure. You're leaving soon after all.”

The monster jumped up in joy before pulling his monster friend in a bone-crushing hug. “I'll miss you the most, _Min_.”

✧

It's been almost a week since their encounter and Baekhyun had grown closer to the monster. 

He realized that they shared the same enthusiasm for music when Baekhyun was belting out to his favorite song, one afternoon while cleaning up dishes. The taller had bolted from the room to the kitchen just to sing along with him and gush over the fact that he was happy to find someone with his music taste. 

_Baekhyun felt the same way._

He also realized how much of a baby the giant was when he started complaining about how cold the oubliette was one night and asked if he could join Baekhyun in bed.

Chanyeøl had explained that one of the monsters were doing some wild experiment by freezing up the entire oubliette.

“But aren't you the _King?_ They're supposed to listen to you.”

“I don't treat them as slaves and would never use my authority to stop others from having fun. That's not how I was built.” He justified proudly.

Baekhyun eyed him suspiciously, “He froze you, didn't he?”

“Yeah, he did.” Chanyeøl’s shoulders drooped in defeat as he sighed.

And that's how the two of them ended up cuddling on Baekhyun's small bed.

For the first time in years, Baekhyun slept without having any nightmares.

Eventually, it became a routine.

The taller would naturally settle on the bed once the clock struck _eight_ and waits for the smaller to wrap up his work, take a shower, and join him in bed.

It was a win-win situation for both; Chanyeøl got his warmth and Baekhyun could have uninterrupted sleep.

Now the two of them were in Baekhyun's room on a Saturday morning, debunking monster myths.

“So, basically, you’re like a boogieman except you don’t harm children,” Baekhyun stated stretching out his legs. Baekhyun was sat on a cushioned seat on the floor, his laptop perched onto his lap, back resting comfortably against the side of the bed.

Chanyeøl was lying on his stomach on Baekhyun’s bed, playing with the smaller's hair. A whine leaves the taller’s mouth, “I’m not a boogieman. I’m a monster.” He clarified, fingers slipping from his hair as Baekhyun laughed at his reaction.

“Come on! Even Google said you’re a boogieman.” Baekhyun tilted the screen towards Chanyeøl’s direction. The taller squints his eyes before leaning closer, his face inches away from Baekhyun’s.

The smaller felt his body freeze as he stared at the side of the monster’s face, his eyes fell on his recovering swollen cheek. A pang of guilt hit spread through Baekhyun's chest.

“Baekhyun.”

“Hmm...?”

“Did you hear what I said?”

Baekhyun hadn’t realized the taller had been speaking to him. “S-Sorry, what did you say?”

“Is everything okay?” Chanyeøl asked, eyes darting across his face, worriedly.

Baekhyun nodded quickly, “Everything's fine, Chanyeøl.”

Thankfully, Chanyeøl didn't push him further and continued to rant about how being called 'Boogieman' made monsters feel smaller and how it was similar to the word 'booger', at which Baekhyun burst out laughing.

“Oh! I just remembered something. Pass me the laptop.” Chanyeøl stretched his arms out and Baekhyun handed the laptop to him.

He watched as the taller swiftly moved his fingers along the keyboard and intently stared at the screen, shortly after. He got off the floor and sat beside the taller, on the bed before peaking over his shoulder.

“Have you visited this place before?” Chanyeøl asked as he pointed at the screen. Baekhyun craned his neck to get a better view.

It was a street view on Google maps.

“Not that I remember. Why?”

“I heard you can see the stars clearly and...” Chanyeøl trailed off, fumbling with his fingers as he looked away.

“And?” Baekhyun encouraged the taller to continue.

“I may have stolen a telescope from someone's house.”

Baekhyun almost choked. “What?! Chanyeøl that's illegal!” 

“I know but I've always wanted to see the stars and never got the opportunity to do so, until now. Besides, the guy is dead anyway, so it doesn't matter.” Chanyeøl reasoned.

“You didn't kill him for a telescope, did you?”

“NO! Of course not! I killed him for being a piece of shit! The telescope was just a bonus.”

Baekhyun rolled his eyes, “You're unbelievable, _Yeøl_.” 

Chanyeøl's ears perked up at the nickname and his eyes fell on an oblivious human being.

“What?” Baekhyun blinked at the taller, confusedly.

“Nothing. I was just wondering if you wanted to come with me?”

Baekhyun visibly froze and he grew quiet, making the taller nervous.

“It's fine if you don't want–”

“Yes!” Baekhyun squeaked out too quickly. He cleared his throat and spoke again, “I mean, _yes_ , I would love to.”

“Alright. I promise to take you after we bring Jongdae back.” Chanyeøl smiled his pearly whites on display, causing Baekhyun to mirror them. Suddenly, the taller gasped loudly as if he had remembered something. “I forgot to tell you that Jongdae doesn't remember his real name, so make sure you call him _Chën_ , monsters lose their human identity, and they’re given a new one,” Chanyeøl said nonchalantly.

Baekhyun's smiled faltered and disbelief was present on his face. “Chanyeøl, what the FUCK?! That's the most important information! How could you miss that out?!” He yelled loudly and threw punches at the taller’s arm while the latter chuckled, trying to dodge the human’s fists.

Chanyeøl didn't leave until late afternoon. He had promised to bring Jongdae as soon as he had learned how to safely teleport to certain locations.

The first time Jongdae tried to teleport from one room to another, he ended up in Spain under some random child's bed. Fortunately, another monster was in the same area and saw a confused Jongdae walking around on the empty street and took him back to the oubliette which caused the monster to be bedridden for almost a week from using up all his energy. Jongdae ended up sulking for a day or two before Chanyeøl dragged his ass to help him practice and get in control of his powers and abilities.

“Take care of him. He may be a loudmouth, but he is absolutely shitty at defending himself.” Baekhyun said worriedly, a pout forming on his lips and eyebrows knitting together as he thought about his friend’s dumb actions that almost got him in trouble.

Chanyeøl awkwardly patted the human’s shoulder and nodded, flashing a smile, “Don't worry, I will. I'm T _he King_ , after all.” He said as he raised his head a little too proudly. 

Baekhyun could see the pride melting the monster's brain cells.

_“Says the one who cursed him, in the first place.”_ Baekhyun shot back, shutting the taller's pride down. A pout took over his lips and the smaller laughed while playfully poking the monster's sides.

“You're mean, Baekhyun,” Chanyeøl responded, pushing away the human's hands before swiftly sliding himself under the bed, head peeking out while Baekhyun stuck his tongue out, childishly.

_“Baby.”_ The taller chuckled lowly before completely disappearing under his bed.

Baekhyun sat there shocked at the word that spilled so carelessly out of the monster's mouth as a fuzzy feeling began to bloom in his chest.

He chose to ignore the feeling and decided to clean up his tiny apartment. Once he reached his bathroom, his eyes fell on the familiar pink plunger.

A soft smile caressed Baekhyun's face.

_He couldn't wait for Jongdae to come home._

Baekhyun stepped out of the shower, toweling his damp hair. He noticed the lack of presence on the bed and his eyes automatically darts towards the clock.

_“It's almost eleven, where is he?”_ Baekhyun murmured to himself, a frown plastered on his face. He knew he wouldn't be able to fall asleep easily, so he decided to get dressed and head out.

Baekhyun had lazily put on some old baggy shirt, topped with a padded jacket and a pair of faded blue jeans. He was sat at the back of a cab, admiring the glowing streetlights that illuminated the dead streets.

The vehicle came to a halt in front of a familiar building. Baekhyun quickly paid the driver before bowing his head, respectfully, and exited the car. He briskly walked through the long, quiet halls of the building when a woman dressed in white stopped him.

“Visiting hours are over. You may come back tomorrow.”

“It won't take long, I'll be–”

“I'm sorry but you can't. You can come back tomorrow.” The nurse spoke sternly. Baekhyun sighed in frustration as he turned to leave but before he could do so, a loud voice echoed through the quiet hall.

“Baekhyun hyung!” A cheery figure was approaching them both with a huge smile on his face. “Don't worry noona, he's with me,” Jongin reassured the woman who then nodded and left them alone.

“Was that your sister?” Baekhyun asked, glancing back for a moment, to see the retreating back of the nurse.

“Yeah. I've asked her to keep visitors out for now. Junmyeon hyung said the killer is still out there so we should be extra careful.”

_If only it was that easy._

“That's good. Thank you, Jongin.”

“Ah, hyung. you don't have to be formal with me. you're Jongdae hyung’s best friend after all.” He laughed while Baekhyun smiled back. Jongin guided Baekhyun to the room and announced his departure but not before exchanging numbers.

Baekhyun’s eyes turned into crescents when his gaze landed on his best friend. “Dae...” He called out before sitting beside the bed. The blond man’s face was expressionless. “Just hold on for a while, Dae. everything will be fine soon.” Baekhyun slipped his hand into Jongdae’s and squeezed it lightly unaware of the mysterious figure watching them from outside the room.

Baekhyun returned home to a stressed Chanyeøl who was pacing back and forth in his room. His head snapped up when the smaller entered his room and soon his face was buried in a hard chest.

“Where were you?” Chanyeøl asked worriedly, his grip tightening around the human's waist.

“I couldn't fall asleep, so I thought I'll go give Dae a visit,” Baekhyun rubbed his eyes, tiredly. 

“They let people in at this time?”

“No, Jongin was there and his sister works there as well, so I was let in,” Baekhyun explained before lifting his head to rest his chin on the monster’s chest while looking up at him, “Why were you late?”

“Your friend was taking too long with this one soul, so I had to step in.” Chanyeøl began to sway them slightly, “Why? Did you miss me, already?” He teased and Baekhyun scoffed loudly, muttering a quiet 'as if' before resting his cheek back against the warm chest. 

They stood in that position for a while. A stifled yawn caused the monster to pull away slightly, a soft smile tugging his lips, “Do you want to go to bed, now?”

Baekhyun nodded his head, slowly, a small pout evident on his lips.

“Alright. I'll be here. Go get changed.”

Baekhyun grabbed a lose red t-shirt and a pair of pajamas and rushed to the bathroom to get changed. He came back to his room to see the monster had taken the leather jacket off and was tossing on the bed, uncomfortably.

“Chanyeøl, is everything okay?” Baekhyun questioned as he slowly approached the taller.

“Y-Yeah, it's just a little too warm and these are just not comfortable right now,” Chanyeøl explained, pointing at the tight leather pants.

Baekhyun quickly rummaged through his closet to find an old white t-shirt and a pair of black string pants before tossing it to the monster.

Baekhyun didn't dare to turn around until Chanyeøl reassured him _thrice_ before he did so. He almost gawked as he noticed how snuggly the clothes fit him. Baekhyun tried not to blush at how good looking the taller was wearing the most basic clothes.

He quickly settled down on the bed, pulling the covers over them. A content sigh left Baekhyun's mouth as warmth covered his body. Chanyeøl threw his arm around Baekhyun's smaller frame while the other arm was tucked under his head. The human's small, delicate fingers wrapped around the big, calloused ones.

“How's Dae?” Baekhyun's voice was soft, almost like a whisper.

“He's happy, I guess. I always hear him yelling from the other side of the oubliette. Even the quietest monsters have started to get loud whenever he's around.” Chanyeøl's warm breath tickled Baekhyun's ear, making him shiver slightly. The monster simply pulled the smaller closer. “Once he started getting comfortable around me, I wanted to punch his throat shut, but eventually it grew on me.” 

Baekhyun bursts into fits of giggles and Chanyeøl couldn't help but laugh along as well. Smiles lingered on their faces as a comfortable silence sets in. Baekhyun's eyes started to droop.

“Do you miss him?” Chanyeøl's low voice caused his eyes to open back up.

“What kind of question is that? Of course, I do!” Baekhyun slurred, fingers tightening slightly around the taller's, trying to stay awake.

“He's made some friends there and he's _very_ close to this one monster.” 

"Hmm...I'm not surprised at that, it's Jongdae after all. It would be weird if he didn't befriend someone right after they met." Baekhyun shut his eyes again. Chanyeøl shifted his weight onto his elbow and leaned over the smaller to get a view of his face, “So you're not jealous?” Baekhyun opened his eyes again and drew back, shocked by their proximity. “No, why would I be jealous?”

“I mean, he's making new friends and he's like _really_ close to this one monster, what if he replaces you?”

“Yeøl, can I ask you something?”

“Y-Yeah?”

“Who hurt you?”

Chanyeøl scowled at the smaller before stubbornly pulling his hands away, “I was just looking out for you, jeez! You didn't have to call me out like that.”

“Jongdae wouldn't do that. And even if he decided to replace me, he wouldn't have agreed to come back home. He would've stayed there.”

“Do you like him or something?”

“Ew, Chanyeøl NO! Oh god, he's like a brother to me! How could you think such a thing?!” Baekhyun slapped his shoulder, face scrunched up in disgust.

“Y-You can't blame me! You're worried about him all the time and you always ask what he does in the oubliette! Of course, I would misunderstand!”

“Because he's my _best friend_. I'm just making sure he's safe and happy. Seriously, Chanyeøl, who hurt you?”

Chanyeøl pouted again and he was quiet for a while and Baekhyun went back to playing with the taller's fingers.

“I used to have a best friend in high school, and we got along really well. He was kind of quiet at first but once you get to know him, he's fun and _way too_ talkative.” Chanyeøl chuckled, fondly, “We used to do almost everything together until college when he suddenly disappeared without a word. I tried searching for him but I could never find him until one day he came into my house and asked me to run away with him and I was so happy to see him, I ended up following him to this cave. And now here I am.”

Baekhyun froze as he processed words.

_Chanyeøl was cursed by his own best friend._

_The damned priest's son._

“ _He_ did that to you. But why?”

“I don't know. I tried asking him, but he always pushed me away. I believe his father might have gotten into his head.”

“I'm sorry. That's just fucked up.” 

“Yeah, I know.”

Baekhyun turned around before leaning forward to pull the taller into his arms, engulfing him into a hug. He rubbed his back, tenderly, face buried against a hard chest.

Chanyeøl had turned into stone, his limbs refused to move. He managed to snap out of his trance and hug the smaller back only for him to pull back. Chanyeøl cursed in his head.

“You deserve better,” He paused, a small playful smile on his face, _“Boogieman.”_ He chuckled softly as he tried to lighten the mood.

And it worked because Chanyeøl was smiling back at him.

✧


	3. Chapter 3

** CHAP3 **

↯

“Okay, you ready?” Zäl asked encouragingly clapping her hands. Chën rolled his eyes at the dramatic monster and scoffed, “I was _born_ ready, LET'S GO!” His voice boomed through the oubliette.

Chën bolted as soon as Zäl waved her palm, causing the transparent barrier to lift. A wave of energy began to form at the tip of his claws when his gaze landed on about fifteen faceless, disfigured forms zooming towards him at full speed. 

The monster punched his palm through the air, the energy leaving his hand and splitting in the air before it zaps the figures until they turn into ash. Another batch of creatures emerged just as Chën turned the corner but this time, doubled the number. He cursed under his breath before summoning his claws and talons before sprinting at the army of lifeless beings, ripping them with his claws, zapping a few, and kicking down the rest. 

Chën panted heavily as he stared down at the figures who began to turn into mist, slowly disappearing into thin air. A breathless laugh escaped his lips, “Zäl! Zäl, did you see–” His breath hitched in his throat when he felt a presence behind him but before it could attack, the monster smoothly teleports behind the creature and sinks his claws through its middle, zapping it in the process.

A set of loud cheers caught Chën’s attention, his head snapping towards the direction of the sound. The monsters were hooting loudly, crowding around the female monster who was gawking at him as he flashed a charming smile.

The young monster bowed down dramatically before doing some exaggerated finger guns.

“That was so smooth! You can easily fight off other demons now.” One of the monsters who went by the name Kwøn yelled and Chën lets out a sound in agreement, pointing both his index claws at him.

“Yah! Are you stupid? He’s going to go back now. Besides, he wasn’t that great...” An older monster, Jüng said before nudging the female monster, “Right, Zällie?” The crowd suddenly quiets down and began to disperse.

Chen’s gaze fell on his mentor whose silence began to stress him out. Zäl’s face hardened as she turned, facing Jung, arms crossed over her chest. “Call me that one more time and I’ll _skin_ you also keep your _fucking_ eyes up here!” She gritted her teeth before harshly grabbing the elder monster’s jaw, forcefully raising his head up, claws digging slightly into his cheeks but not enough to draw blood. Her eyes glowed a pale shade of yellow for a moment before a smirk grazed her face. The female monster lets his face go, tapping his cheek with her claw, “ _Good._ ”

“And you,” Zäl turned to face Chën, who nervously met her gaze. "I think you're _ready_." She smiled at the young monster whose mouth formed an ‘O’, eyes wide open before he screamed in victory. 

Xiūmin ran towards Chën engulfing him in a tight hug, jumping up and down, equally excited as he was. “You did it! I knew you could do it! You perfected it, Chënnie!” 

“He’s one of the first monsters to perfect his abilities and powers in almost _two weeks_ ,” Läy said, scanning the screen he had summoned in front of him.

“Isn’t that impressive? Wow, I didn’t know I was _this_ good.” Chën praised himself, pride blooming through him.

“Chën, most monsters take a day or at the most three, not more than that. You took almost _two weeks_. How is that impressive?” Läy questioned causing the young monster to whine loudly before dramatically falling onto the ground, kicking his talons in the air, childishly. “Well...at least you’re the first monster to break that record so you should be proud.” Xiūmin tried to cheer him up by patting his shoulder.

A sharp pain caused Chën to jolt and sit up straight as he lets out a hiss. His gaze fell on a heel, digging into his thigh. “Let me have my moment in peace, please.”

“No, no we don’t have time for that.” She stepped back before walking away as Chën got back onto his human-like feet. 

“We have to find Chanyeøl before you lose your ability to teleport again.” The female monster turned around, a playful smirk on her lips as Chën fumed in anger, ready to throw another tantrum but before he could do so, a sad voice interrupted them.

“You’re leaving right now?”

Chën slowly turned towards Xiūmin whose eyes were starting to tear up with black liquid.

“ _Min_ …” He pulled the monster into his arms, hugging him tight while the latter sobbed on his shoulder. “I-I’ll miss you. I’ll miss y-you so much.” His voice broke when he pulled away to look at him. Chën wiped his tear-stained cheek, smearing the black residue further onto his skin. “OH, oh no. I think you need to wash your face.” He tried to rub away the liquid.

“You’re so _stupid._ ” Xiūmin sniffed before chuckling lightly while Zäl and Läy share a knowing look.

“Just follow my steps, that way we can reach Chanyeøl’s location,” Zäl explained taking a step away from Chën, looking out for any creases or damage on his altered red jacket. He nodded in response.

“Zäl?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you.”

The female monster was shocked at the sudden gratitude but acknowledged it, nonetheless. “Ready to get back home?” A smile grazed her bright red lips.

“Fuck yeah!” He threw his hands up in excitement.

Within a blink of an eye, Zäl had disappeared from his vision and his jaw dropped as he looked around him. The young monster shut his eyes and a wave of energy surge through his body for a while before he felt a hard surface under him. He noticed a familiar pair of heels and began to move towards it.

“ _Shh! Don’t come out!”_ Zäl whisper-yelled, pressing her finger to her lips, gaze fixed on the bed. “Your friend, _Baekhyun_ is sleeping on the bed right now, so, let's give him a little _surprise._ ”

“Baekhyun! Byun Baekhyun?!” He whispered excitedly. “I want to see– wait, I thought we came to find Chanyeøl?” He frowned and looked up to see an amused smile on her lips.

“ _Oh, we’ll find him.”_ She lets out a wicked giggle which creeped Chën out, but he ignored her and popped half his head out to see an elbow poking out through the blanket which he automatically assumed was his human friend’s. He shifted his gaze to see the female monster’s glowing eyes and immediately sighed, knowing exactly what she was up to.

Zäl watched as Baekhyun stirred awake, pouting as he tried to suppress a yawn before stretching his limbs. His gaze fell on their _King_ who was passed out cold, soft snores escaping his parted lips. She watched as a small smile graced his lips as he scanned the taller’s face, _fondly_. He lifted his hand in front of the monster’s face before gently tracing his features, starting from his forehead to his cheeks and finally his lips. He shook his head, letting out a quiet giggle before rolling off the taller, head still on his chest, slender fingers wrapped around the King’s thicker ones as he pulled the blanket over them.

“I hope I'm not interrupting anything.” Zäl’s voice echoed within the four walls of the now startled human’s room, who was now sitting up, looking at her with wide eyes. Her eyes began to glow again,

_“A pretty woman?!?!?! How long has she been standing there?!”_

_“WAIT, how did she get in?”_

_“Fuck, did I forget to lock the door last night?! Baekhyun, you dumb ass!”_ She mouthed each word perfectly, freaking the human out even more. 

Baekhyun opened his mouth to speak but she interrupted him again, “Before you say anything, check under your bed.” A crooked smile formed on her lips while the human eyed her suspiciously but lowered his head anyways.

A loud shriek left his throat as he swung his fist at Chën who had his _natural_ form out. The young monster successfully dodged it by ducking back under the bed while the human backed up, bumping roughly onto the figure behind him, panting heavily. The figure jerked awake, his arms quickly searching for the human beside him before pulling the smaller onto his lap, “Hey, hey, it’s okay. I got you– Zäl?!” The King’s eyes widened in shock as he followed Baekhyun’s gaze, the woman’s smirk only grew wider.

“For fuck’s sake, Byun! I almost suffered from another concussion!” Chën yelled before sliding out from under the bed, dusting himself once he’s back on his feet. He raised his head to steal a glance from his friend but did a double take instead when he noticed the human wasn’t alone.

“YOU– HOW…wait a minute,” His head turned from the King to his friend who was gawking at him.

“D- Chën!” The human yelled and scrambled out of bed tackling the young monster in a tight hug. “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry for everything. I-I know you were looking out for me, but I was so stupid to see it–”

“Baek–”

“ _No_. Hear me out first.” Baekhyun frowned, fixing his gaze on the floor, “I had said some harsh words and I know you probably won’t believe me, but I didn’t mean it. I was j-just spewing nonsense trying to protect my ego when you were simply trying to help me. I was so s-stupid to let you walk out like that. If I had just owned up, this wouldn’t have happened in the first place. This is all my f-fault and I’m– you’re crying black liquid!”

The young monster pushed his best friend away and wiped his face roughly, hands stained in a dark color. “I-I’m not! And stop apologizing! It’s not your fault!”

“W-Why are you crying?!”

“Because you’re crying!”

“Stop crying, dude! You look so ugly!”

“You look hideous! EW you got snort!”

“Shut up, asshole!” Baekhyun rubbed under his nose consciously and sniffed while Chën chuckled lightly, wiping his face with his jacket sleeve, “ _I lied._ ” The human’s head perked up, a small pout forming on his lips before he threw a hard punch onto the young monster’s arm, causing him to scowl, rubbing the spot tenderly. Soon, smiles took over their faces and they playfully smacked each other’s chests, “I missed your annoying ass.”

“I missed–”

“OKAY! I think that’s enough!” A high-pitched voice made Chën roll his eyes. Their attention fell on the woman who was now seated on the bed, beside the King. He opened his mouth to protest but immediately closed it when he noticed what the tall monster was wearing.

“Is that…is that Baekhyun’s shirt?”

Silence weighed heavily in the air; everyone’s gaze was fixed on the clothing.

Chën gasped dramatically in realization, pointing his finger at the King in an accusing manner, “YOU’RE NOT SLEEPING WITH MY BEST FRIEND ARE YOU?!” He screeched causing Chanyeøl to splutter trying to deny the accusation while Baekhyun choked on air, coughing loudly.

“WHAT THE FUCK?! I-I WOULDN’T DO THAT!” Chanyeøl yelled back, panic evident in his voice.

“Y-You wouldn’t?” Baekhyun’s voice was hoarse as he recovered, the frown on his face confused Chën causing him to push the human’s shoulder while raising his eyebrow at him.

“I-I mean I would but only if you want to...” Chanyeøl admitted, ears bright red and voice barely audible. Chën heard a soft gasp from beside him while Zäl rolled her eyes.

Before it could get any worse, the female monster stood up, tapping her heel on the wooden floor, causing an ear spitting sound to echo through the room. Loud groans and cries of protest filled the room as they covered their ears, irritated by the sound.

“What the hell was that for, Zäl?!” Chanyeøl asked, rubbing his ears to get rid of the painful ringing noise.

“I was just trying to get everyone's attention." She replied innocently. "For some reason, you guys keep forgetting that we have an IMPORTANT task at hand.” She spat out harshly.

“Well, it's not like we can walk into the hospital in the middle of the day.”

“So, what do you suggest? Murder?”

“You and your thirst for blood! No, I have a better plan but we have to wait until midnight.” A crooked smile grazed Chanyeøl’s lip.

That's how the four of them were crushed inside a tiny car that Chën had managed to find in an abandoned parking lot.

“You couldn't find a car any smaller than this one?” Zäl asked, sarcasm dripping in her voice as she rolled the long black shirt sleeve before throwing a glare at him through the rearview mirror. They were dressed in Baekhyun's oversized clothes which Zäl had picked out and styled differently for everyone.

Chën scowled loudly, “Well, at least I tried!” He crossed his arms over his chest which was covered by a beige sweater.

“Try harder then?”

“So, you want me to go back there again?”

“What do you think, Chën?”

“Alright! Enough! Break it up you two!” Chanyeøl clapped between their faces. He was dressed in a grey hoodie and jogging pants and topped it off with a black cap. “It's a short ride, I think we can manage in this one, right Baekhyun?”

Baekhyun's eyes widened at the sudden mention of his name, he gulped before slowly nodding his head. The smaller wore a long-sleeved, grey pullover with a pair of off-white cargo pants.

Zäl cursed under her breath before starting the car, the engine roared back to life as she shifted the gears and stomped on the pedal, causing the passengers to jerk backward.

They fumbled around before putting on their seatbelts, sharing a nervous glance among one another.

Chën squinted his eyes as he noticed his friend's gaze lingered longer on the monster beside him. He watched as Chanyeøl gave him a small reassuring nod before leaning forward to place his hand over Baekhyun's shoulder. But before Chanyeøl could retreat it back, the human grasped on it, keeping his hand in place.

Baekhyun began to direct Zäl once she turned to the main road, his fingers were now wrapped around the bigger ones.

Chën leaned forward before eyeing the man suspiciously beside him until the taller shifted his gaze to him, brows frowning in confusion. “What?” The King mouthed. Chën leaned in closer, “What's the deal between you two?” He whispered, jutting his chin towards his hand when the monster looked up at him.

Chanyeøl looked away and shook his head before a smile grazed his lips. “Nothing. We're just friends.”

Before Chën could speak, Baekhyun interrupted, letting them know about their arrival.

The young monster's head snapped up to see the old building; white paint turning yellow, lights flickering in some lower floors while the topmost floors were completely dark.

They got out of the car as Chanyeøl revised the plan in an audible whisper, only for them to hear while walking towards the entrance of the hospital.

Chën felt a cold hand slip into his along with a small squeeze. His gaze moved towards his best friend beside him.

“Everything's going to be okay. Deep breaths, Dae–” The human coughed and cleared his throat. “ _C-Chën._ ”

Chën ignored his friend’s weird behavior and slowly nodded, squeezing his hand back before slipping out of Baekhyun's grasp once they reached the front desk. He hid perfectly behind Chanyeøl's taller frame while Zäl distracted the only nurse at the front desk by instilling worry in her.

Chën watched as Zäl's eyes glowed behind the dark sunglasses that she wore as disguise. The nurse stood up frantically trying to get away from them but before she could do so, the female monster placed her claw over the older woman's forehead, causing her body to fall limp on the ground.

“I'll take care of the CCTV.” She assured them before slowly slipping the human body under the desk.

She rapidly typed on the computer in front of her and suddenly shifted her gaze above Chanyeøl's head.

“It's done.” She smirked before settling down on the chair, legs crossed before running her fingers on the keyboard. “There are two nurses and one doctor in the back room. I can handle them on my own.”

“You sure? Baekhyun can–”

“You guys will need him more than me. There are about _five_ nurses on the top floors for tonight's shift and three doctors on rounds.” Zäl stated, leaning back on the chair.

“Alright. Let's move.” Chanyeøl declared and Baekhyun began to guide them towards the staircase.

“Good luck! ~” The female monster sang out while Chën grumbled under his breath, following behind the tall monster.

They slowly climbed up the staircase, carefully, lined up one after the other. Baekhyun stretched his palm out, causing the two monsters to halt their movements as he peeked around the corridor. He signaled them to keep moving and walked forward.

“Down the hall, second door to the left,” Baekhyun spoke in hushed tones. He spun around almost bumping onto Chanyeøl's chest while the latter prevented him from falling by wrapping an arm around his waist.

A frown formed on the tall monster's face, “You want us to go there alone?”

“I'll have to make sure you guys don't get caught! What we're doing is illegal!” He squeaked, the sound echoing through the quiet halls. The human slapped his hand over his mouth and before he could apologize, the sound of a door opening startled them.

“Shit. Let's go!” Chanyeøl pushed Chën forward, he noticed the hand slipping rather slowly from his best friend's waist while Baekhyun stood there rigidly, making sure the sources of the voices are not at sight as the two monsters sprinted down the long hall.

But before they could turn towards the corner a loud splutter left Baekhyun's mouth causing the two monsters to turn around, worriedly. The human had a nervous smile plastered on his face; eyes slightly wide as he waves one hand dramatically at them.

They notice a nurse at the other end of the hallway, through the tinted windows, turning corners. Her eyes were locked on the man in front of her. Chën quickly pulled Chanyeøl behind a vending machine, their breaths inaudible as they had held it in. “That's my colleague's sister!” He whispered loudly but Baekhyun covered it with an awkward laugh.

Chanyeøl threw Chën a glare and signaled him to shut up.

“You're Jongin's friend, right?” Chën's ears perked up at the familiar name.

“U-Uh yes. Yes, I am.” Baekhyun responded, shifting his weight to the other side.

“Baekhyun, was it?”

He nodded eyeing behind the nurse making sure the two monsters were well hidden behind the vending machine before shifting his gaze back to the woman in front of him.

“I'm sorry about last time. I didn't know you were Jongin's friend, that's why I spoke that way to you.” She said, doing a half bow and Baekhyun immediately stopped her.

“O-Oh no no, it's fine, noona. You were just doing your job after all.” Baekhyun forced a laugh, rubbing his neck nervously as he looked anywhere but at her.

“Ah! I guess you're here to see your friend.” The woman turned; eyes still fixed on the human. Chën almost cursed under his breath when the nurse’s back came to his view. “Follow me, I have to replace his–”

“I'm here to meet you!” Baekhyun almost yelled, before clearing his throat.

“Oh? Is something wrong?” The woman turned to face him again. Baekhyun began to sweat as he fidgeted nervously. “C-Can we talk somewhere else, please? This is just too _open_.” He begged; his eyes filled with desperation.

“Just give me one moment. I'll quickly change the bottles–”

“I like you!”

A painful silence weighed heavily in the air and Baekhyun turned as red as a tomato. His eyes darted to the vending machine where the two monsters had their hands pressed tightly against their mouths, eyes squeezed shut.

“Baekhyun, I'm sorry but I'm married.”

“I-I...”

“Come with me.” The woman sighed with a pitiful expression on her face before dragging the younger away.

Chanyeøl pulled Chën up and they ran to the end of the hall, turning to the left before busting inside the darkroom. They let out a sigh of relief as they panted, slightly out of breath. Their eyes met briefly and soon the laughter bubbled up their throats.

“ _I like you_!” Chën said in a high-pitched tone, bringing both his index fingers together.

Chanyeøl was on the floor, close to tears when suddenly he heard heavy footsteps echoing from outside. Chën quickly hid behind the door while Chanyeøl slid under the bed.

The door opened and the lights were switched on. A tall, curvy woman had walked in with a bottle of clear liquid and a clipboard. She walked around, monitoring the beeping machines before jotting it down and then began to work on the bottle in her hand.

He got a glimpse of his body, lying lifeless on the bed. His dirty blonde hair looked worse since it had started to fade and his skin looked pale. He slowly walked closer, completely dazed forgetting the fact that another human was present in front of him.

A loud crash startled Chën out of his trance and his gaze was now on the woman who was gaping at him in shock. As she was about to protest, the taller smoothly slid out, straightened up before shooting out his claw in front of the woman's forehead causing her to fall limp in his arms.

“Fuck. That was close.” Chën huffed out the breath he didn't realize he had been holding in.

“ _Close?_ You could've blown it all up.” The King scolded causing the young monster to mutter out an apology.

Chanyeøl carefully dragged the nurse outside the room and entered moments later; _empty-handed._

“Stop looking at me like that. I just tucked her into bed in the next room.” Chanyeøl clarified. “Now let's get down to business, _shall we?_ ”

Chanyeøl had fully transformed into his natural form. Body gritty burning red, almost similar to a burning bark. Rounded red eyes, sharp nail like teeth in a pale-yellow color and clean crooked claws and talons.

Chën couldn’t help but admire how intimidating and cool the King looked in his natural form.

Chën felt a jolt of energy spark through him as he shifted to his natural form as well. The tall monster gave him a firm nod before directing his claw over his human body, placing it in the middle of his chest. He felt his claw burning as he hissed out loudly in pain. A wave of black mist seeped out from his form, mingling with Chanyeøl's causing the young monster to sway slightly.

His arm began to tingle and tremble as he held back the urge to shoot out the energy pumping through his veins.

“ _Go ahead... it's okay to let go_.” The monster's gruff voice filled the room.

A shrill scream left his throat as the energy escaped his form, bleeding into the environment before puncturing into his human form causing him to collapse onto the ground. He looked down at his claws to see dust piled up on the floor, upper arms nowhere in sight. His vision started to blur before a bolt of sharp lightning struck through his form, cutting off his vision completely.

✧

_“We'll wait for another week... hopefully by then he'll respond.”_

_“W-What happens if he doesn't?”_ Junmyeon asked, tears brimming the corner of his eyes.

_“I'm sorry to say this but... it'll be your decision to make, Mr. Kim.”_ Baekhyun watched as Junmyeon ran his trembling hand through his red hair before storming out of the Doctor's office.

Baekhyun thanked the Doctor before excusing himself, the doctor's words playing in his head in a constant loop as he exited the hospital.

That night when Baekhyun returned home, Chanyeøl wasn't there.

So, he ended up falling asleep with a heavy heart and tear-stained cheeks.

Almost five days had passed after the encounter. Baekhyun had woken up to a call from his new client; a small electronics company in Seoul. He had spent the whole day working on the manuals, proofreading, and rephrasing instructions based on the function of the machines. The smaller only stood up to make coffee and to use the bathroom.

During those breaks, Baekhyun could only worry about his friend and hoped he would wake up soon.

Until he got a call at around 2 AM.

Baekhyun groaned before rolling to the side, hands searching for his phone under the covers. He hissed at the bright screen but quickly pressed the answer button when he saw Junmyeon's name on the screen. “Hyung?” He croaked out, pressing the gadget close to his ear. The smaller didn't hear the man's voice; only heavy breathing.

Baekhyun sat up slowly, a crease forming between his eyebrows as he licked his dry lips. "H-Hyung? What's wrong?" 

A beat passed by and Baekhyun heard a sharp inhale from the other side, "H-He left, Baekhyunah. He..." A muffled sob escaped the elder's throat and Baekhyun felt his blood run cold.

_No... this isn't happening..._

A painful feeling settled on Baekhyun's chest, his throat ran dry and he felt a cold breeze brushing against his face causing a shiver to run down his spine. The phone slipped from his fingers and landed on the hard-wooden floors with a thud. Baekhyun could hear his own heart beating hard in his ears, he was aware of his emptying lungs. He quickly laid back down, eyes squeezed shut as he felt a tingling sensation serge through his limbs. 

A silent cry left his mouth as tears fell from the corner of his eyes, collecting at his neck. He soon lost control over his limbs and a heavyweight settled on the center of his body, causing his eyes to snap open as his chest felt like it's collapsing on itself until it burned to breathe. 

Baekhyun's eyes met rounded white ones, a sinister smile formed on the dark figure, displaying nail-like teeth, stained with old dried blood. 

“W-Who are–” The creature stroked its crooked claws over Baekhyun's jaw, digging its filthy claw over his protruding vein as he gasped for air, withering helplessly under its weight. “–you?”

The human could barely let out a scream when the claw punctured through the side of his throat, blood gushing out as tears clouded his vision. A loud ringing sound began to resonate through the room drowning the creature's response before a sour liquid filled his mouth and throat. His vision began to distort and he felt his throat close up completely. Unable to move or protest, he let the pain numb him and hoped for the end soon.

But before he could completely cave in, a distorted voice spoke,

_You’re next._

Baekhyun jerked awake, wide-eyed, gasping for air, covered in a cold sweat. His face was flush and wet with tears, body trembling as he lifted his hand to feel around his throat.

A cry of relief left his mouth after he realized it was a nightmare. He laid back down, curling on the side of the bed, soft sobs evoking from his throat. He felt all his energy depleting and soon was lying motionless on the cold bed, tears sliding smoothly down his cheeks. 

Baekhyun felt _numb_ ; A feeling he hasn't felt for the longest time. A dull ache began to bloom in his chest causing more tears to spill. The smaller shifted, burying his face onto the sheets to prevent the beam of light escaping through the gap of his curtains from reaching his vision. He sniffled loudly before exhaling a shaky breath, as he tried to sleep his feelings off.

But he couldn't. So, his mind replayed the events that occurred _that night_.

After Baekhyun was dragged into an examination room the nurse had started with an apology followed by a bit of lengthy advice which he barely paid attention to as his mind was occupied with the worst-case scenarios that could result in the plan failing. 

However, he was proved wrong when the skies began to form grey clouds and roared before flashes of lightning struck the ground. 

A gush of warm wind surrounded the room followed by the flickering of lights causing the woman in front of him to wobble on her feet. He shot out his arms to hold the nurse who almost fell, unconscious, and placed her on the chair. 

He slowly opened the door to see a doctor by his feet, causing a shriek to leave his mouth before he sprinted down the hall before sharply turning the corner, almost tripping. He crashed open the door to see a pile of ash on the floor and Jongdae's human form lying peacefully on the bed.

_No sign of the monsters._

Baekhyun frantically looked around before calling out their names, hoping for a response but all he got was silence. The smaller rushed downstairs to an empty reception desk; no sight of the nurse or the female monster. He began to question reality as he walked home that night.

The sound of the keys jiggling brought him back from his thoughts. He heard the door shut before a familiar set of footsteps echoed through the quiet apartment. 

The man peeked into his room and a gasp fell from his mouth. “Baekhyun!” He rushed to his side, taking in his surroundings and appearance. “What's the matter with you?” The bug-eyed male scolded as he helped him sit up.

A shiver ran through his body as he felt a sting of cold air, brushing his exposed skin before he pulled the warm covers over it. He opened his mouth to respond but shut it immediately as his throat and mouth were dry.

“Baekhyun, I know how hard it is for you but you need to take care of yourself,” Kyungsoo advised before shifting the latter's feet towards the floor. “Can you stand up? I've cooked some chicken fried rice and stew.” 

Baekhyun could only stare at him, teary-eyed causing him to panic. 

“Okay, fine. I'll bring it here.” He pushed his legs back on to the bed and rushed out of the room while the latter began to stare mindlessly at the door.

The sound of utensils and cutlery, clanging against one another, filled his apartment. Soon, the short male walked in with a tray of food. Baekhyun's mouth immediately began to water at the wonderful aroma of food. It had been almost a day and a half since he last ate. 

Kyungsoo fed him and cleaned up the messy apartment before forcing Baekhyun into the shower.

Baekhyun managed to enter the bathroom and stared at his gruesome reflection in the mirror. His eyes had heavy bags underneath them, skin pale, cheeks almost hollow and a small stubble was starting to form at his chin. Baekhyun hated how he looked compared to the other days where he had a slight glow in him. Now he looked exactly how he had looked like when Jongdae had gone missing.

After his encounter with Chanyeøl, Baekhyun could feel how much happier he had felt in general. The anxiety-filled days where he worried about his best friend were all replaced with reassurance and comfort. The feelings he had for the taller was something he couldn't explain. He genuinely enjoyed Chanyeøl's company and couldn't help but feel down every time the monster is late or couldn't make it.

But to put it in simple terms; he _liked_ the monster a lot more than a friend.

Baekhyun didn't realize he had washed thrice until Kyungsoo had knocked on the door. Once he had stepped out of the bathroom, the café owner had announced that he had taken a few days off to take care of Baekhyun since he knew the upcoming days were crucial. 

Baekhyun had tackled the doe-eyed man in a tight hug. He didn't care if the man was dripping in sweat, Baekhyun's heart was swelling with gratefulness and he was happy to have him in his life.

“Let go before I put you in a headlock.” Kyungsoo threatened him in a deadly serious tone causing Baekhyun to move away quickly.

He decided to set a comfortable rest space for Kyungsoo by moving his floor desk out of the way, spreading multiple sheets before rolling out the inflatable bed and pillow in place. He could barely remember going back to bed after manually inflating both the items, lungs burning from exhaustion.

Baekhyun woke up slightly cold, he tried to open his heavy eyelids but all he got was darkness. He groaned before pulling the covers and snuggling closer to warmth. His eyes snapped open and he sat up, letting his eyes adjust to the dark before meeting a familiar pair of mismatched eyes.

_“Chanyeøl?!”_

“Shh! You're going to wake your friend up!”

Tears began to well up in his eyes and his heart clenched tightly while Chanyeøl sat up frantically, pulling the human to his chest. 

And Baekhyun let him because he missed the tall monster.

“I'm sorry for disappearing on you like that.” He whispered, tightening his hold on Baekhyun. “I hated staying away from you but I had no choice.” 

Baekhyun couldn't respond as he feared a loud sob would escape his mouth, waking his friend. So, he fisted the taller's dark leather jacket instead.

“ _He_ was in the oubliette.”

Baekhyun froze as he realized who the taller was talking about. He pulled away; worried gaze fixed on the monster's face. “W-Was he there to hurt you?” He asked, voice hoarse.

Chanyeøl simply shook his head before running the pad of his thumb under Baekhyun's eyes, “He came to threaten me since he found out that I helped your friend. I couldn't even fight him since I was recovering.” 

“Recovering? Recovering from what?” The small human pulled back again before examining the monster for injuries. His eyes fell on the swollen skin and he frowned deeply before he lifted his hand, gently placing it over his face; small nimble fingers tracing over the dull pink skin.

“Undoing a curse requires a lot of energy and in most cases, monsters are stripped away from their natural form causing them to be extremely vulnerable,” Chanyeøl explained, leaning into Baekhyun's feather-like touches. “So, they require some days off to just slowly heal themselves and get their natural forms back.” He added.

Baekhyun lets out the breath he was holding before crashing into the taller's form, burying his face in his neck. “I'm glad you're okay.” His voice muffled on Chanyeøl's skin, “I don't know what I would've done if I lost you too.”

“I'm not going anywhere...at least not this time.” He laughed.

“You better not, otherwise I'm cursing myself and taking you out.”

Chanyeøl tensed up underneath him before shifting his head to the side to see the smaller's face.

“Like on a date?”

“What– No! I meant _murdering_ you with my own hands!” 

Baekhyun felt warmth creeping up his neck up to his cheeks and he was glad the lights were switched off, saving him from the potential teasing. An airy chuckle left Chanyeøl's mouth and he fondly smiled at Baekhyun making the smaller squirm on his lap, his heart rapidly beating against his cage.

“But would you go on a date with me though?”

“I-I don't know...maybe?”

“Grab your jacket, let's go.”

“Right now?!”

Chanyeøl didn't answer him, instead, he carefully pulled Baekhyun out of bed, making sure he didn't step on his friend who was settled on the floor before quietly opening his wardrobe and picking out a bright red padded jacket.

Baekhyun regretted not changing into heavier clothing and made sure to be vocal about it until they arrived in front of a sleek Mercedes Benz. Baekhyun's mouth instantly closed shut as he gawked at the crazy expensive car in front of him. 

Chanyeøl casually strolled over before unlocking the car and opening the door of the passenger seat, coaxing the human to get in which he quickly did. The warm interior and the smell of wood and pine trees put his body at ease at once. He strapped himself in and ran his fingers over the new black leather seats.

“Pretty cool, right?” Chanyeøl asked as he slipped into the vehicle before pulling the door shut.

Baekhyun nodded still eyeing around the comfortable interior of the vehicle, unable to form words.

But he truly became speechless when Chanyeøl started the engine and stepped on the pedal; the engine roared to life and he almost drooled at how sexy the taller looked, smoothly reversing with one hand before pulling into the main road. 

Soon, his eyes followed down and he noticed how fancy the taller looked in his usual clothes while Baekhyun looked tad boring in his.

“Yeøl...”

“Hmm?”

“Am I underdressed for this date?”

Chanyeøl stole a glance before fixing his eyes on the road with a wide grin on his face.

“I think you look cute.” 

Baekhyun grew flustered and he hit Chanyeøl's arm, complaining about how the latter didn't have any sense of fashion and how he couldn't tell that he was overdressed while Baekhyun was underdressed.

“Does it matter? We're just having fun though...” Chanyeøl shrugged simply.

“You've never been on dates, have you?” 

An offended noise left Chanyeøl's mouth as he turned to look at Baekhyun. “Of course, I have! But I feel like it's not necessary to dress fancy while going on a date. It's the time that you spent together that counts.” Chanyeøl swiftly turned to another road, a familiar giant Ferris wheel came into view.

Baekhyun was completely sold when Chanyeøl pulled over at the entrance.

The theme park that was once shut down years ago was now completely back up. Baekhyun stepped out of the vehicle to take in the view.

Transitory fairy lights wrapped around soft orange bulbs which were suspended midair, emitting a soft glow along the path leading up to various rides and food stalls. The entire place almost looked brand new except the Ferris wheel which was not lit up like the rest of the rides. The colors had a beautiful glow to it compared to how it had looked almost six years ago.

“I got a little help from the oubliette.” Baekhyun turned around to see Chanyeøl behind him, smiling sheepishly.

“It's beautiful, Yeøl.” The smaller couldn't hide his smile when he noticed how flustered the monster got while trying to play it off.

They raced to one of the cotton candies stalls, Chanyeøl taking the victory while Baekhyun pouted. Fortunately, the tall monster didn't pick an intense ride or game, rather a competitive one; _balloon burst_.

Baekhyun could see the fire in his eyes as he tightened his grip around the water gun. 

Little did he know, the human was equally as competitive.

And that's how Baekhyun ended up winning games after games before taking over in rides; from bumper cars, joy wheel, and mechanical bull.

He was on a winning high at this point and even challenged Chanyeøl to get on a free fall roller coaster with him and not scream till the end of the ride.

But regret flooded into his mind as soon as the ride elevated them, their forms pressed to the seats firmly. They were fully perpendicular, the ride slowly inching closer to the tip of the railing causing his eyes to squeeze shut and his grip on the cold metal bar tightened.

“Not so fun now _, is it?”_

“F-Fuck you–” He couldn't even complete the sentence before the ride dropped down while he curled on himself, his stomach twisting. 

The cold wind was harsh and heavy against his skin and he shivered visibly before a warm rough hand slipped into his shaky pale ones. He pushed it away at first but the never-ending drops made him reconsider. 

Baekhyun swallowed all kinds of noises that threatened to escape his mouth until the ride jerked roughly, railings creaking before coming to a halt. The smaller had wide eyes as he realized what he had done as Chanyeøl threw his hands up in victory.

Chanyeøl helped the trembling human gently out of the ride before guiding him towards the nearest bench. He noticed a pout on the smaller’s lips and chuckled, rubbing the back of his palm onto Baekhyun’s soft cheek, causing his bottom lip to protrude even more.

The monster shrugged off his jacket before draping it over Baekhyun’s shoulder, “I’ll go bring us some snacks.”

Baekhyun’s eyes lit up instantly while Chanyeøl fixed the jacket one last time before walking away.

Soon, the taller returned with two fish-buns and Baekhyun devoured it, hot steam warming his mouth followed by the sweet taste of red bean paste. They finished up quickly and Chanyeøl pulled the smaller closer, wrapping his arms around his shoulder to keep him warm.

A soft smile took over Baekhyun’s lips.

“How's your best friend?”

The smile immediately died and a feeling of dread began to creep into his chest. 

“H-He hasn't responded yet...”

“What... that's not possible.” Baekhyun looked up in shock to see the monster frowning before running his hand through his hair. Chanyeøl opened his mouth to speak but immediately closed it when he noticed how the human was biting his bottom lip nervously.

“I promise there's nothing to worry about... he's just a slow learner, after all, considering how long he had taken to control his powers and teleport,” Chanyeøl reassured him, taking the small hands into his large ones.

However, Baekhyun's thoughts only got worse after he was reminded of the dream he had. 

Chanyeøl noticed how stiff and stressed the smaller looked judging by the way he squeezed his hand and had a deep frown on his face. “Hey...” The monster softly called out gaining Baekhyun's attention whose eyes began to prickle with tears. “Tell me what's wrong.” He softly nudged the human’s shoulder with his.

Baekhyun explained the nightmare he had experienced without leaving out the frightening details of encountering a monster.

Chanyeøl rubbed over his knuckles with his thumb, trying to comfort the trembling human.

“As I said before, he's not going to leave everyone behind like that. Although he's a slow learner, he is a determined one. He'll make it. I promise.” Baekhyun felt a warm pair of lips on the side of his head and a fluttering flurry feeling settled in his chest as he leaned onto the taller. “And the monster...” He pulled away to look at Baekhyun. “It's _him_. He's doing this to get to me so he can have control over Jongdae since he's the only one who's seen both his human and monster form.” He explained. “But too bad that the curse is undone.” A smirk graced his lips as he tilted his head in a cocky manner while a breathless giggle left Baekhyun's mouth at the monster's antics.

The sky was beginning to shift color at the sun's arrival. They watched as the soft colors blended in the sky with smiles on their faces. Shapeless clouds slowly disappearing from the sky, birds chirping sweet melodies, golden rays shining gloriously against their faces.

Baekhyun felt like he had reached a different level of peace. He was cuddled up in a warm pair of arms, watching the world come back to life again.

A groan escaped his mouth when he was rudely interrupted by his ringtone. He pulled out his phone from his jacket to read the caller id.

**»Incoming Call:** _Kyungsoo_

“Shit! It's Kyungsoo, he's probably wondering where I went.” Baekhyun frantically stood up, Chanyeøl following behind him. They rushed back to the vehicle parked at the entrance and road off but before he could answer the call, the latter hung up.

Baekhyun pouted slightly and unlocked his phone to call him back. A gasp left the shorter’s mouth as he noticed the amount of calls, he had missed from the café owner. But Baekhyun felt the air knock out of his lungs when he read the messages he had left.

“What’s wrong?” Chanyeøl’s voice made him flinch in his seat, ears ringing, eyes moistening as he fixed his blurred vision forward.

“It’s about Jongdae. Everyone’s at the hospital.” Fear swallowed his mind as he curled up on the seat, unintentionally moving away from the hand that tried to reach out for him.

✧


	4. Chapter 4

** CHAP4 **

∆

A loud crash made him jump in his seat, spilling warm tea on his plain blue t-shirt and black shorts. A curse left his mouth before he reached for the tissues on his desk and cleaned up the mess. He pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it to the side.

“Shit, did I scare you, hyung?”

His head snapped up, the ginger-haired man coming into view, who was in front of the sink, wearing nothing but bright yellow gloves.

“I told you not to call me that anymore. It makes me feel old.”

“You are, _hyung_.”

_“Sehun,”_ His voice dropped, sounding more serious than anything. He stood up, walking out of his home office before entering the kitchen.

A loud smack resonated within the room, a startled moan leaving the latter's mouth.

“What was that, Hun?”

“J-Jun.”

“Hmm... that's right”

The said man began to gently massage his boyfriend's supple, reddened cheek.

Before the red-haired male could take it further, he was abruptly interrupted by his phone's ringing, which made him grumble in annoyance as he walked back to his office to answer the call.

“Officer Kim Junmyeon, speaking.”

“Good morning, Mr. Kim. This is Detective Jung. I'm calling you to enquire about case number 0-2-1-0.”

Junmyeon ran his hand through his bleached hair, “Detective Jung, I'm not on the case anymore as the victim is related to me and my supervisor thought it's best if I stay out of it.” He explained, the corner of his mouth twitching in anger as he made a mental note to scold his team for not updating the paperwork involved in the investigation.

“Ah...my apologies. This was the information I was given by the team involved in the case.” He replied, sounding flustered. “If you don't mind, may I ask who's in charge currently? And if you could tell me more about your findings so far?”

Junmyeon felt a pair of arms engulfing him from behind, chin resting on his shoulder and, ear pressed against the back of his phone, trying to overhear the conversation.

The shorter male turned his head to peck his boyfriend's pointy nose, “No I don't mind. It's Officer Shin Woosuk who's in charge currently but I cannot disclose any information that I've found since I'm not on the case, I'm sorry.”

“Right...no worries, Mr. Kim. Thank you for your time.”

Junmyeon sighed in frustration before tossing the phone onto the desk with a loud thud. He sat back on the office chair and typed away an angry email on his laptop completely oblivious to the person who was now kneeling beside him, trying to get on to his lap without pissing him off further.

“They think this is some kind of a joke. I understand they respect me as a senior and want to involve me in the case but we have a victim's life on the line.” He slammed the enter key and leaned back, covering his face with his hands.

The officer felt weight settled on his lap before withdrawing his hands away from his face. The man leaned down to kiss his tear-stained cheeks and rested his forehead against his.

“I know how it feels to lose someone precious to you,” Sehun whispered, bringing Junmyeon's hands to his waist. “And although I cannot promise his full recovery, I can assure you that he's been fighting for a while now. So, let's not lose hope, okay?”

Junmyeon nodded, tightening his grip around his boyfriend's waist before pulling him down for a simple kiss.

And knowing the taller, it escalated into them making love in their shared bedroom.

When Junmyeon woke up, the ginger head was getting dressed to leave for work. He watched as the taller fixed his uniform, before spraying some cologne over his neck and wrists.

Sehun's gaze shifted and landed on the officer smiling at him through the mirror. He turned around swiftly before walking over to him and planting a lingering kiss on his forehead.

“Did you sleep well?” The taller sat down beside him, combing his fingers through the shorter's messy red hair.

“Yeah...how are you feeling? You sure you can still go to work?”

“I'm a little sore but I think I can manage.” Junmyeon leaned forward to kiss his pink dusted cheeks, arms wrapping around his tiny waist.

“Let's go on a d-date tonight.” He whimpered out while the senior officer's lips trailed down to the side of his neck.

“What time?”

“Does 8 pm sound good?”

Junmyeon hummed in response, mouth trailing back up again before pressing his lips against the young officer's.

“If I stay here any longer, I'll be late. I'll call you later, okay?” Sehun was quick to pull away, face flushed and lips glistening. He hurriedly put on his duty belt before leaving the room.

Junmyeon dragged himself out of bed and into the bathroom once he heard the door shut and the locks click.

He didn't have much work to do other than to clean up the house since he was forced to stay home until the case was closed.

Yet even then, he didn't stop his little investigation.

Junmyeon was sat in front of his desk, glasses perched on the bridge of his nose, dressed in a hoodie and a pair of sweatpants, eyes scanning over the reports he had gathered over time.

He had remembered Baekhyun calling him worriedly explaining how his brother had left after an argument and wasn't picking up his calls. Thinking it was a non-serious argument, he reassured Baekhyun telling him that Jongdae might have gone to their parents' place.

Except he hadn't.

And Junmyeon regretted not calling in to check up on the younger male.

A sigh left his mouth as he closed the first report before opening up another one.

On all the cases he had worked on, the senior officer could now say that this was the most complicated case he had worked on. He was crushed to learn that the killer was an absolute clean freak and hadn't left even a speck of evidence behind after bloodying his younger brother.

The only thing left was a rose gold symbol that was embedded on the side of Jongdae's neck and the cave walls.

Junmyeon was even more taken aback when one of the officers had rushed to inform him that the whole server had crashed down and various files in the system, including the, backed up files and other possibly similar cases that they never got to review.

Fortunately for him, an extra team of police officers from the capital was shifted to his department.

This led them to work from the beginning, in an old-fashioned way. He had instructed the group of officers to collect newspaper articles from various years and go through them while the others went around to retake testimonials. The team also gained permission from their supervisor to hire professionals to help restore the server which ended in wasting precious time and Junmyeon getting scolded by the supervisor.

Midst of all this he had overlooked the fact that a certain junior officer from the capital was constantly by his side, accompanying him wherever he goes. He had also pointed out a major clue linking to one of the owners of an electronics company, making him the first prime suspect.

That's when Junmyeon began to acknowledge the young handsome Officer, Oh Sehun.

Junmyeon is an efficient and loyal officer and gave in his absolute best while working on cases, leaving a remarkable impression on his supervisor, hence earning the senior position.

He was friendly and outgoing with all his colleagues, regardless of their age which made him more approachable and trustworthy.

But at the same time, no matter how open he was, the senior officer never met up with anyone outside of work, unless he's called into work during his day off or if they meet coincidentally on the streets.

Despite having these rules for himself, he noticed how the smart junior officer was crossing all the lines and getting into his personal life.

And Junmyeon let him.

After work they would meet up in a small bar down the street where they drink cheap alcohol with fancy names, slurring out their worries to each other.

Junmyeon had realized how comforting it was to have someone beside you, cheering for you, listening to your worries, and simply being there when you've hit your lowest point.

When Junmyeon got physical with their prime suspect, he felt like he had lost everything that he had to build up over time. His supervisor had expressed his disappointment in harsh tones before asking him to step away from the case until it was closed.

That was when he began to push everyone away from him; his parents, his friends, his colleagues, and especially Oh Sehun.

Yet that bastard always found a way to break through every wall he had built around him by spamming his phone with reassuring messages, leaving him meals by his doorstep, sending him movies to watch during weekends.

Junmyeon hadn't planned on leaving his house until Sehun showed up at his door one midnight, asking him to drink with him.

And who was he to refuse the man he had secretly missed.

Two drunk officers off-duty, leaning way too close, one of them spewing incoherent words while the other fondly stared, barely registering the confession until a few moments of silence passed by.

“H-Hyung, I don't know what to say...”

“You don't have to–”

“No! Hyung, I–”

“Sehun, it's fine.” A heavy sigh left his mouth as he gathered his things and stood up. “I'm sorry–”

A pair of lips pressed on to his, causing him to stumble backward, coming in contact with the bar table as two cold palms caress his face, gently.

The junior officer pulled away, breathlessly before resting his forehead against his.

“I like you too, hyung...maybe a little more than ‘like’.” The man chuckled, his breath fanning Junmyeon's burning face.

From there, things were a blur.

Sehun moved into his apartment in less than two weeks. They ended up confessing their love for each other and Junmyeon physically couldn't stay away from the man at all.

Every time Sehun had night shifts, Junmyeon stayed up until his boyfriend got home so they can go to bed together.

The loud buzzing of his phone caused him to flinch and he leaned over the desk to pick up the call.

Before he could speak, a soft sniffle was heard along with quiet mumblings.

“Myeon...” The soft voice trailed off, the voices on the other side began to grow louder.

“Mom?” A frown took over his face as he pressed the phone closer to his ear. A muffled sob was heard along with some shuffling.

“Jongdae, he's–”

Junmyeon didn't have to hear the rest of the words to gather his jacket and keys before rushing out.

✧

Baekhyun noticed a familiar white sedan parked in front of the gate as Chanyeøl slowed the car a block away from the hospital.

“You sure you don't want me to wait for you?”

Baekhyun simply nodded as he fiddled with his fingers, nervously.

The monster carefully reached out his hand, inviting the smaller to take it which he did, thankfully. He ran his thumb over the back of his hand in a comforting manner while Baekhyun's heart began to ram against his ribcage.

“I'll wait for you at home, okay?”

Baekhyun lets the monster pull him into his arms, burying his face in his chest in the process. He felt a peck on the top of his head as he sniffled before pulling away.

Chanyeøl doesn't leave until Baekhyun entered the building safely. The smaller was guided by one of the nurses towards Jongdae's room after he had reached the front desk.

“Baekhyunah, what are you–”

The younger male cuts him off, “Hyung... what's going on?”

“Nothing to worry about. He broke out a fever and his vitals were unstable.” He explained as he pulled the trembling male to the seat next to him. “His heart stopped beating briefly but he fought through it.” Junmyeon smiled, eyes glistening with tears.

“C-Can I see him? Please?” Baekhyun whimpered out as he turned around to look through the window. Few nurses and a doctor surrounded his best friend, blocking Baekhyun's view.

“They're not letting anyone in at this time...his fever hasn't gone down, yet.” Junmyeon sighed as he ran his hands through his hair.

“Baekhyun!” A shrill voice made him jump in his seat but soon his heart softened at the sight of Jongdae's mother walking towards them, his father following right behind. He stood up to greet the two but the elder woman pulled him in a warm hug instead. “Why don't you visit us anymore, son?” 

Baekhyun couldn't form words so he clings to the woman, tears spilling from his eyes as he sobs silently which were wiped by Jongdae's father as he ruffled his hair fondly.

“Myeon told me how you feel about all this but it's not your fault, Baekhyun.” She reassured him. “We would never blame you for what happened.” 

“I'm sorry for not being there for you both...” The smaller choked out as he pulled away and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. 

Baekhyun noticed the elder man's mouth turn upward as he took his hand in his rough ones.

It made him miss his best friend even more.

The smaller male hadn't noticed the sky had grown dark until Junmyeon had woken him up offering him food. 

“Where's mom and dad?” He asked as he rubbed his eyes, a small pout forming on his lips.

“I sent them home to rest. You should eat something and go home too, Baekhyunah.” He pushed the tray of food to him while Baekhyun shook his head stubbornly.

“I don't have an appetite, hyung.”

“Baekhyun,” The man shot him a stern look before sitting beside him, “I can understand how worried you are. I really do, but you have to take care of yourself too. He would hate to see you like this.”

_And Junmyeon was right._

Baekhyun picked up the chopsticks before taking in a bite of the tender meat along with some rice. The flavor of the juicy meat exploded in his mouth, fueling his appetite. He stuffed his mouth full of food, satisfied with the meal as he looked up with wide eyes to meet Junmyeon’s amused ones.

“This taste so good, hyung!” He said careful not to spit out the food in his mouth while the latter chuckled. He playfully poked his hamster cheeks, “That’s what happens when you taste something other than ramen.”

Before Baekhyun could respond, the nurse politely interrupted them asking Junmyeon to step into the Doctor’s office. The younger stood up as well but was stopped by the nurse instead. With a worried look on his face, he watched the retreating back turn the corner, leaving him alone outside the quiet and cold hallway. 

Baekhyun resumed eating, ignoring the tightening feeling in his chest and the gruesome ache in his stomach. Tears threatened to spill but he clenched his jaw tight and blinked them away as he stuffed his mouth with a spoonful of rice.

A terrible feeling sparked a fire in his gut, he recalled the way the nurse had a sympathetic smile on her face, her eyes downcast, her voice soft yet sad like she had felt sorry for him. Baekhyun swallowed the last bite, dryly, eyes screwed shut, fists clenched tightly as he tried to ignore the loud beating of his heart. His breath labored causing him to breathe from his mouth, taking in heavy puffs of air, his chest aching during the process. His body began to tremble, a loud _clang_ echoed loudly through the halls as the empty steel tray fell onto the tiled floors.

The warm wind engulfed his body, causing goosebumps to rise on his pale skin. The lights flickered and Baekhyun saw something move from the corner of his eye, causing him to stand up way too quickly. He stumbled on his own feet, vision blurred and head dizzy but before he could hit the floor, a pair of arms caught him and helped him up onto his feet.

Baekhyun blinked away the stray tears in his eyes before looking up at the _being_ in front of him. His heart dropped at the sight of the terrifying creature looking down at him, empty round eyes, burning red skin, and pointy teeth full-on display. The creature’s hands were still around the human body, holding him in place which didn’t help his but feed onto his fear.

He didn’t realize he was crying and shaking so much until those cold long claws brushed his cheeks, making him flinch slightly.

But what surprised the human was the creature flinched too and its skin stopped glowing. 

“ _I-It’s me._ ” A gruff voice left its mouth before the creature’s body morphed into a shapeless form and then a familiar figure.

“Chanyeøl…” 

The smaller threw himself against the taller, sobbing onto his shoulder while Chanyeøl tried to calm him down. He carefully guided Baekhyun into an empty ward next to Jongdae’s before forcing him to sit on the bed.

However, Baekhyun refused to let go of the taller, so Chanyeøl ended up pulling Baekhyun onto his lap instead.

“Jongdae’s not okay, Baekhyun…” The monster broke the silence first. He felt the smaller tense up on his lap so he quickly added in, “Zäl was quick to realize it after I told her and it seems, _he_ has something to do with it…”

Baekhyun’s lips trembled and a shaky breath left his lips.

_His intuitions were right._

“Zäl asked Läy to prepare some potions for Jongdae so–”

“Can I see him? Please…I didn’t get to see him from the time I got here.” Baekhyun’s voice was filled with desperation and Chanyeøl didn’t have the heart to reject him so he simply pulled the human closer before kissing the side of his temple.

“I promise you’ll see him soon but we have to let them do their job, Baekhyun.”

“He’s my best friend! He’s my family!” Baekhyun snapped hitting his chest harshly, tears threatening to spill. He could feel his throat close up again, “I can’t…I can’t lose him…” He whispered breathlessly, head falling onto the taller’s shoulder.

“You won’t, baby. I promise, okay? You trust me, don’t you?”

Before Baekhyun could respond, the doors swung open, startling the two. 

“Chanyeøl– What’s going on here?!” Zäl yelled as she shut the door behind her. The female monster’s makeup was smeared, her hair was disheveled, her clothes wrinkled and dirtied with different colors of potions, her once long claws were now short the redness in her eyes indicated how much she had strained herself.

“YOU– You were supposed to take care of the CCTV!” She screamed glaring at the frozen monster. Baekhyun slowly buried his face into the taller’s neck, not wanting to be a part of their argument while the grip around his body tightened.

“I couldn’t leave him alone out there!”

“That’s why I asked you if we should take in another monster!”

“I don’t trust them to take care of him!”

That had seemed to keep the female monster quiet. A loud sigh left her mouth as she walked closer to them, “I’m here now. Go clear out the cams.” She spoke calmly yet her voice sounded bold and intimidating. 

The taller shifted Baekhyun onto the hospital bed and pecked his wet cheek before rushing out. The air outside was still warm and stuffy, unlike the cool room they were in. He wondered how the so-called _King_ let his people talk to him that way.

“Sorry about that…” The bed dipped as Zäl sat down next to him. Unable to speak, he slowly nodded his head and smiled at her instead. 

“Chanyeøl, he’s-” She began but stopped herself before staring forward, deep in thought. “He’s a little different from the other King. He’s more sympathetic, which is a trait found in most humans and…not in any monster of our kind.” She explained. Baekhyun nodded again, processing each word slowly. 

“I wasn’t fond of him when he had arrived in the oubliette. I considered him weak and pathetic. I even wondered why he was cursed in the first place.” She laughed bitterly, “I was cursed by one of the wicked priest’s minions and I was at such a vulnerable age, I became completely brainwashed and agreed to be his concubine.” She scoffed at the thought, “And for what? To gain power. To take the King’s place after his death.” 

Baekhyun was stunned in silence. He hated that such a world existed once before Chanyeøl. He hated the fact that innocent lives were taken away just like that for the devil’s amusement. 

“S-So, you were there long before Chanyeøl?” Baekhyun asked, voice heavy and rough.

“Yes.”

“And you were supposed to be the Queen if the priest hadn’t passed on the throne to his son.”

“You’re on point. Wow, I didn’t think humans were _this_ smart” She teased while the smaller whined in response.

“I don’t know if saying this is right but I’m thankful that he was cursed. Even though it wasn’t for the best, he brought in a lot of changes and made me the monster I’m today.” She said proudly with a bright smile on her face. Baekhyun cleared his dry throat to speak but Zäl stopped him. “I know what you’re about to say.” Her eyes glowed pale yellow, “And I really appreciate your kind words, Baekhyun. I really do.” 

The lights suddenly began to flicker and the air around them changed. The female monster jumped to her feet, highly alarmed. A strong pungent smell filled his nostrils making him gag and heave out a breath. A green glowing form began to form from thin air, the smell getting stronger, the air getting heavier.

Within a blink of an eye, another human appeared in front of them, in a disheveled state and the smell vanished like it was never there.

“Hey, babe– oh…I see we have company.” The dimpled man who Baekhyun guessed was Läy, spoke.

“Why do you always have to be this dramatic?” The female monster rolled her eyes before walking forward to peck him.

“Baekhyun, it’s finally nice to meet you.” The monster extended his claws towards him which the smaller stared at with his jaw hanging open before slowly wrapping his fingers around the hard and gritty skin.

“I-It’s nice to meet you too, Läy”

“I guess Chanyeøl’s told you about me already.”

“Highly.”

Baekhyun didn’t know the latter’s smile could get wider and his dimple could go deeper until he spoke. “Babe, you’re freaking him out.” Zäl tapped his cheek, “I’m sorry, he’s a sucker for compliments.” 

“I’m not.” He scoffed, “And before you speak and continue to bully me, I have news.”

And Baekhyun instantly perked up at that. He sat up straighter and leaned closer towards him. “Is he awake? Can I see him, now?”

The dimpled monster nodded and Baekhyun instantly stood up, following behind the monsters. The air had changed in the halls and lights had stopped flickering but Baekhyun was too absorbed in his thoughts he had missed out on all of it.

He didn’t notice that they had arrived in front of Jongdae’s wardroom until the female monster nudged his shoulder. “What’s wrong? Don’t want to see him anymore?” She teased. Baekhyun chuckled nervously before walking pushing the door open with a shaky hand.

Right there, on the hospital bed sat his best friend, upright, staring right at him. Instantly he found himself in between Jongdae’s arms while the latter lets out a hearty laugh. Baekhyun tightened his grip around him and only let go when he winced loudly in pain.

“You asshole! I’m still getting used to my almost dead body, go easy on me!” He yelled before punching his arm.

“I missed you and this is how you treat me?!” 

“Who asked you to miss me? I definitely didn’t.”

“Shut up, Dae.” Baekhyun once again pulled him in for another hug while Jongdae whined loudly, holding him tighter.

“I really hate to interrupt your wonderful moment but the power’s wearing off and everyone will be up here in no time.”

“Thank you for helping out. I don’t think I would’ve made it without you guys.” 

“You should be thanking your King– I mean _ex-king._ ” He joked making them laugh lightly.

The couple quickly rushed under the white hospital bed but before they could leave, Zäl pointed behind Baekhyun, “There’s a nurse lying in the corner, wake her up and pretend as she asked you to come in, okay?” The human nodded in response before they disappeared under the bed.

Baekhyun carefully walked towards the nurse lying on the floor before waking her up. The woman sat up confused and groggily before gasping loudly once she realized Baekhyun’s presence.

“Sir, w-what are you doing here? Visitors are not allowed–”

“You asked me to come in and then you suddenly went to sleep…I don’t understand this.”

The nurse stared at him confused, her mouth opening and closing. Soon, her eyes landed behind him and the loudest gasp left her mouth before she scrambled to her feet. “He’s AWAKE!” 

In no time the nurse was out the door and soon a flock of people was rushing in, gasping and cheering before rushing to Jongdae’s side, flocking him with numerous questions. 

“I’m gonna call mom and dad,” Junmyeon said, his voice shaking in excitement while he stepped outside. Baekhyun sat on the chair beside him while the Doctor examined his best friend one last time.

Soon, the room was flooded with people, Jongdae’s parents, Kyungsoo, Jongin, Junmyeon, a few of the nurses, and the Doctor. 

The doctor named Jongdae’s case a miracle and had stated that it was all thanks to the ‘angels above’ when in reality, it was the devils’ work. _Literally._

✧


	5. Chapter 5

** CHAP5 **

↯

Jongdae was woken up from his deep slumber when Junmyeon had called him to inform that two of the officers would drop by for questioning and for a facial composite. He had explained the entire procedure and asked for Baekhyun to be present since Junmyeon himself was out of the case.

The blond-haired man hadn’t realized how much had missed having his honey colored hair back. Although he had to admit that he looked sexier with black hair and might dye it once he leaves this place.

By late afternoon, the nurse announced the officer’s arrival, however only a ginger haired man had entered the room.

He noticed how the officer kept his head down at all times and spoke to Jongdae in hushed tones.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t quiet catch that. Do you mind looking up while speaking?” Jongdae asked politely, not wanting to sound rude to an officer. However, the man didn’t respond and stayed frozen in his seat.

Now, Jongdae was _suspicious_ of the man.

Jongdae’s moved his hand discretely to the top corner of the bed, trying to reach for the emergency switch but the tall man had noticed his movement since his monitor had given it away. His hand darted towards Jongdae’s arm, pinning it down on the bed, the man’s face hovering in front of the blond.

A startled sound left his mouth as he recognized the man’s face.

The exact same man who had _cursed_ him.

The next second, the monster’s claws were pressed against his forehead, making him dizzy before he completely lost consciousness.

✧

“Jeez! What took you so long?” Jongdae asked as Baekhyun stepped into the wardroom.

Baekhyun hadn’t realized that he had spent hours lying on the bed, trapped in the taller’s arms until he received a call from Junmyeon. The next minute he had hurried to the shower, pulled on some clothes before rushing out.

“Sorry, I overslept.”

“Excuses.”

The procedure had started shortly after. It started out with some basic questions about how the day went hours before the incident. Then began the _real_ questions and Baekhyun could see how stressed his best friend looked.

“So, you’re saying there was one man involved, correct?”

“T-That’s right, officer.”

“And did you know this man?”

“No…I don’t think so.”

The officer nodded before writing down something onto his black cased notepad.

“Can you describe how the man looked like?”

Everyone’s attention was now on Jongdae who looked terrified as every minute passed by. He stared at his hands, resting on his lap, eyebrows frowning, forehead creasing.

“I…I” He began to speak, “I don’t remember exactly…”

“We don’t need any details, just a simple description will do. Let’s start with the clothes he wore that night.”

Jongdae nodded before taking in a deep breath. His heart monitor beeped lightly as he tried to relax onto the bed. The officers were kind enough to give him enough time and space to let him think. However, it all ended up in vain as the blond began to shake his head, body trembling, monitor getting louder as panic settled shook him up.

The nurses had rushed in minutes later, asking everyone to leave while trying to calm his best friend. Baekhyun frowned as he stepped out along with the officers.

“A _dead end_ again.” He heard one the officers speak as they sighed in defeat. “This is one of the toughest cases I had to deal with after–”

The ginger haired man nudged his shoulder to shut him up as he noticed Baekhyun’s presence. The smaller bowed politely before looking away.

“Uh…we’ll be going then. Please let Mr. Kim know.” He spoke quickly as Baekhyun stared at them, confused. “You’re not going to wait for him?” He asked, eyebrows raised.

The officer shook his head as he stepped forward, “Sir, this memory loss is a natural occurrence among victims of assault. Pushing them to speak is only going to trigger them further which is not something we’re allowed to do.” He explained, voice quiet for only Baekhyun to hear.

Baekhyun wanted to argue back but he decided it was pointless anyway so he just let out a heavy sigh and nodded.

The officers left soon after and Baekhyun was alone again, waiting for the nurses to step out. A familiar looking woman, exited the room and his face flushed in embarrassment as he recognized her.

“Ah, it’s you!” She exclaimed, “How are you feeling?”

Baekhyun bowed politely, “H-Hi, noona. I’m feeling, alright. Is everything okay with, Dae?” The nurse nodded, “He was probably shaken up while trying to remember the incidents. We’ve put him to sleep for now.”

He nodded again as he licked his dried lips, “Will he be discharged soon?” He asked, eyes hopefully. She shook her head and gave him an apologetic look, “Unfortunately, no. He still needs physiotherapy since he can’t control his lower limbs. So that would take roughly another week or so until he can use a wheelchair or crutches.” She explained while he nodded in response before thanking the woman and leaving.

∆

Junmyeon had moved back into his and Sehun’s shared apartment after Jongdae was discharged from the hospital, a week ago. The doctors had concluded the physiotherapy was an ongoing success and that Jongdae had begun to gain control over his lower limbs. However, they advised continuing the use of a wheelchair since straining the muscles would cause an even bigger problem.

The senior officer had missed out on plenty of reports sent in by his department. The piled-up emails stressed him out so decided to pull an all-nighter to finish up his work after making sure his boyfriend was sound asleep. He knew Sehun was working hard and the evident bags under his eyes proved it to him.

His attention was disrupted by the low buzz emitting from his phone speaker. He frowned as he noticed the familiar name on the screen. The same co-worker under another department that he had worked with a few years ago.

“Oppa, I found something–”

“Good evening to you too Soojinah, I hope you’re–”

“I’m doing great, Sir. Thank you very much for asking but I found an identical case from _six_ years ago.”

Junmyeon's senses heightened. He briefly looked around the room, making sure no one was around before focusing his attention back on the call. “Go on.”

“Remember the company, Park & Co. Resorts?” She asked, waiting for the latter to respond. “Of course. They're the richest business who invested in this town.”

“Well, their son went missing around seven years ago and he was never found. After almost three weeks of investigation, the case was dropped because there were no shreds of evidence nor did Mr. Park pay for further investigation.” She said.

“How does it make it similar to this case? I mean I can understand why the killer had attacked the boy as he belongs to a rich family and all but why my brother?” Junmyeon was confused at this point. He knew the younger female wouldn’t call in without a strong lead so he continued to listen.

“Intensions are still unclear but the tactics the killer used are similar. Both of them had the same symbol on the side of their neck and they had similar bruises and wounds. Both bodies were found in a cave and they both went into a coma except one survived and the other is still unknown...” She trailed off, concerning the red-haired man. “What do you mean? We don't have records of which hospital he is admitted in?”

“We do have hospital records but he's not in that center anymore. He was moved but I think they threw away records since it's been a while.”

“Fuck...did you check if he's in any cemetery records?” He exhaled deeply before running his hand through his hair.

“Yes Sir, but he's not in any of them. I tried to contact Mr. Park but he wouldn't respond anymore and the time we contacted him was two months after the incident and he claimed he doesn't have a son.”

“Wow, that's a strong claim to make.”

“I'm guessing he's not stable after what had happened so he's not fit for questioning. Besides, I've heard some rumors about his son.”

“What rumors?” Junmyeon pressed the phone closer to his ear before grabbing a pen and a sticky note from his desk drawer.

“The boy is a homosexual and Mr. Park had disapproved of it. They didn't get along too well either according to a few maids that worked there.”

“Are you trying to say Mr. Park caused all this?”

“I don't know, maybe?

“Get some sleep, Soojin. You've worked hard enough.” He said before tossing the contents back into the drawer.

“Wait!” She shrieked. “I haven't even gotten to the best part yet.” Junmyeon sighed, before mumbling a quiet 'go on'.

He heard the woman on the other side take a deep breath, “The CCTV footages from both cases which were wiped clean from the system and the server is now located on another active server. The footages were viewed two days ago.”

Junmyeon shuffled around to grab a pen and a sticky note again, “Who is it?”

“Officer Oh Sehun.”

Every muscle of his body froze, unable to compute as a familiar name slipped through the phone speaker.

“M-Maybe he took it for the investigation...” He reasoned; voice soft before looking around the room, again.

“It's been a week since he got the footages, Sir. All pieces of evidence must be handed over to Mr. Shin since he's in charge. You know the drill.”

A curse left the officer's mouth as he gripped his hair in frustration. He knew how bad the situation looked, almost like trying to cover up for the attacker.

Junmyeon started to wonder if the time they had spent together even meant something or if he just wanted to know the details of the case so he could cover up easily for the attacker.

_He felt like a tool._

“A-Anything else, Soojin?” He gritted his teeth as he blinked away the stray tears.

Before she could respond, the sound of the door opening made him jump, triggering a noise out of him and making the woman on the other line go quiet.

“Why aren't you in bed, Jun?” His voice was gruff from waking up from his slumber. He was clothed in a pair of pajama pants, hair disheveled, and a small pout on his lips.

“I'll join you in a minute.” He said coldly before turning back in his seat. “Send the rest of the stuff through my email. I'll call you later.” He quickly hung up after the woman croaked out a small 'okay'.

Junmyeon stared at his phone, debating whether he should confront his boyfriend or not.

He was about to question the taller when his muscles tensed up under Sehun's burning touch. His eyes fell shut like a pair of lips fleeted across the expansion of his back and shoulders, slowly making its way to his neck.

A content sigh left his mouth when the man sucked a certain spot on his neck before slowly pulling back as Junmyeon leaned against the headrest.

Sehun was fondly smiling from above him, hands resting on his shoulders, pressing lighting into his skin. He leaned down to press his mouth against his, softly groaning at the feeling.

But Junmyeon was quick to pull away.

“Are you hiding something from me?” He questioned as he watched the taller's dejected expression change into shock.

The man shook his head frantically. “No, why'd you ask?”

Junmyeon simply stared at his boyfriend before slowly shaking his head. “Nothing. I was just wondering.”

“Jun? You sure everything's okay?” Sehun reached out to stroke the side of Junmyeon's face.

The latter couldn't help but lean into the comforting touch, eyes closed.

“Y-Yeah...just stressed.” He pressed his lips together tightly before taking in a sharp breath.

Long nimble fingers brushed through Junmyeon's red hair, gently tugging before running his thumbs on the senior officer's temple. The senior officer opened his eyes, meeting his boyfriend's soft gaze causing a tug at his heart.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Sehun shifted in front of him before settling himself on his lap. Junmyeon's hands naturally rested around Sehun's small waist. He shook his head before urging the man to go back to bed which the latter refused by clinging onto him.

“Sehun, I have a few reports to review.”

“I'll take care of it tomorrow. Please come to bed?”

“I can't. This is important.”

“Nothing's more important than your health and well-being, Jun.”

Junmyeon froze as he stared at his boyfriend blankly, warmth spreading through his chest. “T-Then can I ask you something?” Sehun nodded in response.

“What do you plan on doing with those footages?”

The junior officer visibly stiffened under his hold; eyes wide in shock which was swiftly masked by confusion.

“What footages, Jun?”

The red-haired man lets out a frustrated sigh. “You don't have to hide from me, Sehun. He shifted the male on his lap, bringing him closer to him before firmly gripping his thighs to hold him in place.

“Tell me one thing,” He squeezed the side of the taller male's thigh before staring right into his eyes. “Did you stick around me just to get information out? Hmm?” He questioned as he watched the junior officer frown deeply before slowly shaking his head.

“Because someone told me you have the missing footages–”

“Who was it?”

Junmyeon scowled before leaning back in his chair, “That's your concern? You're not even guilty of being caught?”

“No, Jun, I-I can explain–”

“That should've been your first answer, you traitor. Now get off me.”

“Jun, please listen to me. It's not–”

“I don't want to hear it. I'll let Mr. Shin know soon. So be prepared to stay home.”

Junmyeon signaled the taller to leave as he turned his head to the side, without sparing a glance to the man who was now back on his feet, slowing exiting the room with tears clouding his vision.

✧

A gasp left Baekhyun's mouth when he felt a pair of cold lips press against the back of his neck as a deep chuckle filled his ears before a warm body pressed against his. The human sets the plate back into the sink rinsed his hands and wiped it on the towel resting on his shoulder before turning around to meet his favorite pair of mismatched eyes.

“I thought you said you had souls to hunt for.” Baekhyun tilted his head teasingly and rested his hands on the monster's chest.

“I did but I missed you.”

“We saw each other a few hours ago, Chanyeøl.”

“And that's a long time from now.”

Baekhyun rolled his eyes playfully before resting his cheek against the taller's chest. He bit his lip, trying to hide the little giggle in his throat when he felt Chanyeøl kiss the top of his head.

“I need your help with something.”

“So, that's why you came to meet me.”

“N-No, I did miss you but I didn't have an exact reason to leave the oubliette b-but now I do, so I–”

“Yeøl, Yeøl, I was kidding.” Baekhyun laughed as he saw the taller's shocked expression. He took Chanyeøl's face in his hands, running his thumbs over his bruised cheeks. “Besides, you don't need a reason to come see me. You're welcome here anytime, you know that.”

“R-Right.” Chanyeøl rubbed the back of his neck with a shy smile plastered on his face.

“So, what do you need my help with?”

Chanyeøl looked down at him, “Uhh...” he hesitated as he opened and closed his mouth unable to form words.

Baekhyun frowned, “Yeøl?”

“Yeah...um...fuck!” He mumbled to himself as he ran his hands through his hair in frustration before pulling away and pacing back and forth.

The human waited patiently for the monster to collect his thoughts before the latter stopped in his tracks.

“I need your help to find my human body.” He blurted out, eyes wide.

Baekhyun sighed in relief before letting out a small chuckle while Chanyeøl pouted.

“I know that sounds stupid considering how it's been so long since I've become a monster a-and I know my family probably wouldn't even remember me–”

“Chanyeøl– hey, hey...” Baekhyun took the taller's hands in his before bringing it up towards his mouth.

“It's not stupid at all, Yeøl. I'm sorry for making you feel that way.” He softly kissed his rough palms before bringing them on either side of his face. “And of course, I'll help, you giant.”

Chanyeøl's eyes widened at the nickname while the smaller smiled sheepishly.

“But you have to help me with the dishes first. I feel like I've been doing this for hours.”

“It's been like less than twenty minutes, Baekhyun.” The human raised his eyebrow, questioningly. “I've been watching you.” Chanyeøl gave an eerie smile before wiggling his eyebrows.

“You creep!” Baekhyun punched the monster's arm while the taller broke out into fits of laughter.

“Thank you, ma'am.” He bowed down before letting out a heavy sigh. He walked out of the dingy building before entering the car parked in front.

“No luck, yet?”

Baekhyun shook his head, a small pout on his lips as he sat down and picked up his phone, looking for another number from the list he had made in his notes app.

“You sure this guy isn't dead?”

Baekhyun shot Jongin a glare making the younger male quiet before turning his attention back, “I'm positive.”

“Alright.”

Baekhyun had spent his entire weekend compiling various phone numbers of hospitals in Seoul. With the limited information he had gathered from Chanyeøl, things weren't looking too bright for both of them.

“Hyung, you don't even know his full name, how are you supposed to find him?” Jongin questioned as he leaned back in his seat.

“That's why we have this picture of him.” Baekhyun shoved his phone in front of the teacher's face while Jongin pulled his head back to get a better view of the screen.

“Uhh...” He gave Baekhyun a weird look before looking back at the screen. “Hyung, are you sure this is a legitimate picture? It looks photoshopped to me.” He pointed out.

Baekhyun froze as he blinked at the younger male.

Fuck, was it that obvious? He thought as he cursed himself for not listening to Chanyeøl and letting someone skilled to work on the picture.

“Of course, it's a real person.” He squeaked out, “W-Why do you ask?”

Jongin scrunches his nose up, “His pupils look uneven and the dark color looks odd, his skin looks way too pale for a human and his hair is colored in poorly,” He zoomed into the monster's hair. “His hair is actually pink.”

Baekhyun stayed quiet and awkwardly looked away from Jongin's suspicious gaze.

“Hyung, is he really your friend in college?”

“Y-Yeah of course he is! It's just been a very long-time a-and I can't remember him all that well...”

“But how could you forget his last name?” He scoffed as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“Jeez! I don't know Jongin, it's just been a while and a lot has happened. I'm sorry I couldn't keep track of everything, okay?!”

Jongin immediately shut his mouth, arms slowly untangling and eyes wide in shock as Baekhyun snapped at him. The silence weighed heavily around them causing Baekhyun to let out a puff of air as the guilt began to creep in.

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you like that...”

“No, hyung I'm sorry if I crossed the line. I didn't mean to do that.”

“You don't have to apologize, Jongin. It's just–” Baekhyun lets out a tired sigh before leaning back in his seat. “I just really have to find him.”

Jongin nodded his head, “We will, hyung,” He leaned toward the smaller before placing his hand over his shoulder in a reassuring manner. “But it's going to be tough considering the limited information we have on him.”

Baekhyun nodded in response, gaze fixed forward. “I know.”

“You have the next place ready?”

Baekhyun unlocked his phone before typing in the location of the next hospital they had to visit.

They ended up driving for four hours around Bucheon before making a short trip to Seoul.

The last hospital which Baekhyun visited had referred him to a hospital in Seoul letting him know that a man (that resembled the picture he had presented) had been shifted out to Seoul for better treatment three years ago.

Baekhyun was giddy and shaky when Jongin halted the vehicle in front of the tall building.

Every step he took made him shake, his breath going shallow causing him to breathe from his mouth. He began to feel lightheaded once he reached the entrance but the comforting smell of sweet flowers calmed his nerves.

“Hi there. How can I help you?” A woman in her forties greeted Baekhyun, a warm smile plastered on her face.

Baekhyun mumbled a quiet 'hello' before fumbling with his phone to find Chanyeøl's picture. Thankfully the woman was patient and didn't rush the smaller.

“I’m...um...looking for this man.” He presented his phone to the woman who proceeded to put on her thin spectacles to get a better view.

Her eyes lit up in recognition and Baekhyun's heart raced as he leaned forward in anticipation.

“We do have a young man who resembles this photo but can I get his name?”

“Chanyeøl.”

The woman frowned slightly but quickly replaced it with a smile, “Can I get his last name?”

“Uh, yeah...” Baekhyun began to fidget under the woman's suspicious gaze.

The truth was he didn't know the monster's name.

“It's...”

Fuck even Chanyeøl didn't know his real name.

The smaller's eyes darted around the area before his eyes landed on the board placed on the wall.

['Employee of the month: Park Youngjae']

“I-It's PARK!” He yelled, startling the woman and the patients beside him. He mumbled a quiet apology before clearing his throat, cheeks red. “It's Park Chanyeøl.”

The woman slowly nodded before running her fingers over the keyboard. Baekhyun watched as the woman flicked her finger over the mouse, eyes scanning the bright screen.

“We don't have anyone named Park Chanyul.”

Baekhyun's shoulders drooped, a pout taking over his lips as he looked at the woman desperately. “A-Are you sure? I was told he would be here...”

“But we do have a person named Park Chanyeol...if that's who you're looking for?”

Baekhyun froze at the foreign name and he almost shook his head but his gut feeling stopped him.

“Uh..y-yes. That's him.” He nodded in response.

“Okay. What's your relationship with this patient?”

“Boyfriend.”

The woman shot him a dirty look before she crossed her arms over her chest. “And is there an explanation on why you haven't visited your _boyfriend_ for over three years?”

“I-I'm sorry?” Baekhyun was taken aback by the woman's change in tone. “That's a personal matter. I don't think it concerns you–”

“It does.” She cuts him off, “Because the last time someone came in claiming he's the patient's boyfriend and ended up putting the patient at risk and stealing the CCTV footage.”

“Ryu! I think that's enough.” A tall, young male stepped in before pulling the woman away from the desk. He leaned over to whisper something in her ear and she frowned deeply before stomping down the hall.

“I'm sorry about that, Mr...?”

“Baekhyun.”

“Ah, yes Baekhyun. How can I help you?”

“I-I would like to meet patient Park Chanyeol, please.”

“Of course, sir. I need to verify your identity before I let you see him.”

Baekhyun nodded and with shaky hands, he pulled out his wallet to take his ID out and handed it over.

The taller male scanned over his face before darting his eyes down to his ID.

“This way please.” He said as he handed the ID back before signaling the smaller to follow him.

The male nurse who went by the name Minjun had informed Baekhyun about the unfortunate events and apologized for the female nurse's behavior.

“She got scolded quite a lot which is why she got defensive.” He reasoned with an apologetic smile.

“I understand. She was just doing her job.” Baekhyun smiled polity.

The male nurse halted and Baekhyun almost bumped onto him. He waited for the taller man to push open the door, but he didn't budge.

“Is everything okay?” He asked, confused about why the man stood in front of the door.

“Is there any particular reason why you haven't visited your boyfriend?”

“I didn't know where he was– his family didn't inform me.”

“How did you find out now?”

“I asked around a few hospitals and found out that he had been moved here. To Seoul.”

The man stared at the smaller a beat too long and Baekhyun thought he was going to be kicked out, however, he pushed open the door, waited for him to enter before shutting it behind them.

The room was cold and Baekhyun hated that.

He noticed how dim the lights were set and how sweet the air smelled, not even a hint of disinfectant or medicine.

The layout and atmosphere reminded Baekhyun of fancy hotels he had seen on television.

Except there's an odd white curtain in the middle of the room and Baekhyun knows exactly what's behind it.

He watched as the nurse drew back the curtains, a mop of brown curls coming into view, making his breath hitch in his throat. He noticed the number of wires on his lover's body, trying to keep him alive.

Baekhyun remained rooted in place, unable to move, his heart racing, as he tried to hold back his tears. He took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself.

He couldn't believe he was going to see the monster's human form.

“Mr. Byun?” The nurse's voice snapped him back as he forced a smile.

“Sorry, I'm– it's just, it's been a long time...”

The nurse slowly approached him and patted his shoulder, “I have to stay here but I won't bother the two of you.” He slightly pushed Baekhyun towards the body.

The smaller noticed how angelic Chanyeol looked dressed in white, his skin was soft and clear and lips full and pink. He slowly lifted his shaky hand and threaded his fingers through his soft hair.

“I found you...” He whispered to himself, “I found you, Yeøl.”

✧

Baekhyun didn't see Chanyeøl for another week and he was quite bummed out. Besides, he had a huge surprise to break out to him.

During that week, he visited Jongdae and stayed there for a day or two, catching up on everything his friend had missed out on since his disappearance.

He heard all about the wild stories in the oubliette and about the ice-controlling friend he had made which Baekhyun linked to the time when Chanyeøl had mentioned it to him. He had also leanred that his brother had gotten a new boyfriend.

The same ginger haired man who had come in for questioning Jongdae.

He was saddened to learn that Junmyeon and Sehun had a fallout and that the red-haired man had returned back to their parents' house. However, Jongdae and Baekhyun had spoke to him, noticing how hurt and miserable he had looked the past few days.

Coming home made Baekhyun feel lonely but his face instantly lit up when he noticed the monster setting up a gaming station in his bedroom that the taller might have picked up after his hunting session. Baekhyun decided to prepare some snacks before joining the taller on the bed.

They had played multiple rounds of this game and Baekhyun couldn’t pick the perfect opportunity to tell him since the taller would always scream in frustration as his character died over the stupidest reasons like, [ _CYUL_ accidentally blew themself up] or [ _CYUL_ accidentally died falling from a high location].

Finally, he had decided to camp in one of the houses which allowed Baekhyun to speak.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Hmm?”

“Do you prefer to be called Yeøl or Yeol?”

The monster turned to face Baekhyun which resulted in his character getting sniped. Baekhyun cheered in victory before sticking his tongue out to tease the taller.

Chanyeøl pouted as he stubbornly crossed his arms. “That's not fair! You asked me a question and distracted me!”

Baekhyun giggled in response shifting onto the taller's lap, wrapping his arms around his neck. “You didn't answer my question.”

Chanyeøl scoffed, “What kind of a question is that? Of course, I'd prefer Yeøl.” He leaned back casually, his hands resting on Baekhyun's waist, gripping tightening slightly.

“Who the fuck is Yeol?”

The smaller held back his giggles and responded, “My human boyfriend.”

Chanyeøl frowned deeply, his grip slacking as he averted his gaze from the smaller's.

“S-So are you like... cheating on me now?” Baekhyun noticed a black liquid forming up from the corner of his eyes and the side of his cheek dipping, indicating he was biting the inside of his cheek.

The action scared the smaller as he failed his arms in panic. “It's you, dumbass! You're the human boyfriend!” He exclaimed before stealing a kiss from the monster’s cheek.

Chanyeøl pulled back, confusion evident on his face, “What...I don't understand?”

Baekhyun chuckled lightly, “I found your human form, Yeøl. You're stable.”

Chanyeøl lets out an airy laugh, dark liquid forming at the corner of his eyes as he pulled the human closer. “R-Really?”

Baekhyun nodded before resting his forehead against, noses brushing lightly as he wore the brightest smile on his face. He noticed how the monster's eyelashes rested on his cheeks as he shut his eyes and took a deep breath. The smaller watched as his eyes fluttered open, staring right at him. 

Those same pair of mismatched eyes that he loved so much was going to change and he knew he was going to miss it.

Baekhyun hadn't realized the taller's eyes had dipped down until he felt a warm breath fanning his face. The human's eyes widened and he unconsciously wet his lips which caused Chanyeøl to lose his mind and tighten his grip around Baekhyun's small waist.

A gasp left the smaller's mouth as he parted his lips and leaned closer, eyes falling shut.

But before their lips could brush against one another, Baekhyun's phone had gone off, startling both of them as they pulled away from each other.

The smaller cursed under his breath as he pulled away from the taller. He twisted his body to grab his phone from the small table in front of them and unlocked it.

[ **3 New Message(s) From** _Myeon Hyung_ ]

He pressed on the notification, curious about what it was about.

_Myeon Hyung_ : Hi Baekhyunah.

_Myeon Hyung_ : I just wanted to share this with you even though Dae told me not to.

_Myeon Hyung_ : *** jpg. ***

It was a picture of a newsletter, applauding the workers at the hospital for Jongdae's recovery and the police officers for their support.

Along with that were three pictures; two of which were the police officers (one of them being Junmyeon's boyfriend) and the other was a picture of Jongdae with his eyes half-closed, nose flared out, almost like he was going to sneeze.

A burst of high-pitched laughter left his mouth after he scanned the image which made Chanyeøl lean forward to take a peek at his phone.

Soon, the taller joined him as they cried out with laughter until their bellies hurt. 

But suddenly Chanyeøl stopped before taking his phone out of his hand. He extended his fingers outward on the screen before his eyes widened in realization.

“That's _him_.”

Baekhyun wiped his eyes as he frowned at him. He leaned closer to take a look at his phone screen.

“That's Junmyeon's boyfriend, Yeøl...” He trailed off before looking up to meet the taller's shocked gaze. “That's the man who came during the questioning.” He added, “But why would he do that to his own boyfriend's brother. I don't understand this.”

“I don't think _he_ knew who _he_ was cursing.” He gritted his teeth, nose flaring as he thought about how close the cursed monster had gotten to them again.

A loud gasp left the taller's mouth as he turned towards the startled human, “Remember when you told me that Jongdae couldn't remember _his_ face?” Baekhyun nodded slowly in response.

“There's a high chance _he_ might have erased that part of Jongdae's memory.”

Now it was Baekhyun's turn to gasp, “No...”

“That fucking bastard. I know exactly what he deserves.” Chanyeøl spat out before tapping something on Baekhyun's phone.

“What are you doing, Yeøl?”

“Texting Jongdae a plan. You're the main character.” He said with a dark smirk.

Baekhyun had arrived a little later than everyone else.

He was being a nervous wreck at Jongdae’s doorstep before he reassured him and pulled him inside.

The brunette’s hands rested on the cold handles of the wheelchair as he pushed him inside, almost running into a tall figure as they turned the corner. “Oh shit! Sorry, didn’t see you there.”

The ginger head apologized before his eyes landed on Baekhyun’s.

“No worries,” He waved him off before slightly turning in his chair, “Sehun, meet my best friend, Byun Baekhyun, and Baek, this is Sehun. My brother’s boyfriend.” He sighed dramatically making them laugh.

“We’ve met before.”

“We have.”

Sehun then excused himself to the bathroom while Jongdae gestured Baekhyun to move forward.

Once they reached the kitchen, he greeted Junmyeon who was in a bright yellow apron, setting all the dishes onto the counter. Baekhyun gasped at the amount of food on the table, “Did you make all this, hyung?!”

Junmyeon nodded proudly, “I spent the entire day on all this, you guys better eat well today.”

“We definitely will,” Baekhyun said, eyeing the delicious meal, the aroma of juicy meat wafted through the kitchen as the red-haired man picked up the lid.

Baekhyun’s mouth immediately began to water and he hoped for Junmyeon’s boyfriend to hurry up.

Thankfully Sehun didn’t take much longer to come back to the kitchen. Everyone took their seats on the barstool as Junmyeon began to serve portions of food for each plate. They quietly dug in, loud chewing noises were followed by short hums of satisfaction before praises and compliments were directed at the older man.

Eventually, the attention was directed at Jongdae as he spilled the craziest dreams he had seen when he was in a coma. He started with the silliest one, like the time he had seen Baekhyun turn into a woman and how freaked out he had gotten.

“Wow, I didn’t know you had the hots for me, Dae.” He joked while the short blonde barked at him to shut up.

Soon, the dreams began to get more sinister and brutal, making the room quiet as they stared at Jongdae, gaze filled with curiosity and concern.

“I swear to god I had the weirdest dreams at that time. I saw myself transform into a _boogeyman_ before sinking my long sharp claws into this man’s chest and then eating him, it was crazy!” Jongdae exclaimed while his brother sighed at his exaggeration.

Baekhyun didn’t miss the way Sehun had frozen for a second before chuckling softly.

“Oh! Sorry, it just sounded ridiculous.” He justified, “I mean, _boogeyman_? Really, Jongdae?” He laughed loudly, turning to look at his boyfriend.

Junmyeon joined him soon after while Jongdae frowned deeply, “Hyung, it felt so real like I was there or something…”

The red-haired man shook his head before standing up, “It’s just a dream, Dae. Now, you help me with the plates,” He pointed at the shorter male, “And Baekhyun and Sehun can pick a movie for all of us to watch.”

Jongdae complained endlessly while Junmyeon piled-up plates onto his lap before picking up the rest himself. Baekhyun helped Jongdae towards the kitchen before teasingly yelling ‘good luck’ while the latter cursed at him.

Baekhyun stepped out of the kitchen with a faint smile on his face which didn’t last long once he noticed the ginger-haired man sitting on the couch, down the hall, flicking through the list of movies. He took his time to observe the man, looking for some unhuman characteristics, but Sehun looked perfectly ordinary.

_Maybe a little too perfect._

The short brunette walked forward with a small smile on his face as he met the latter’s gaze. He sat beside Sehun comfortably, “Found anything?”

The taller frowned and shook his head, “Nothing yet, hyung.”

“Hyung?”

“Jun told me that you’re older than me.”

“Oh…” He turned his attention back to the screen, before mumbling under his breath, “I didn’t know he was into young boys.”

A loud splutter erupted from the taller’s mouth while Baekhyun flushed in embarrassment. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean–”

“I’m only two years younger than you, hyung.”

“Well, _your boyfriend_ is two years older than me.” He said before leaning back onto the couch while Sehun shyly smiled back at him. A faint sound of music made their heads turn in unison, as they stared at the kitchen entrance. Baekhyun could hear Jongdae belting out the notes and Junmyeon had joined him shortly after.

“They’re going to be there for a while,” Baekhyun spoke out, a small smirk on his face. He heard Sehun hum in response.

“OKAY! I found one,” The taller exclaimed moments later. Baekhyun turned his attention to the huge screen in front of him.

“Scary Movie, _really_?” He asked while Sehun frowned.

“What’s wrong with it? It’s scary and fun to watch.” Sehun justified as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Baekhyun threw his hands up in surrender and rolled his eyes playfully before leaning further into the couch.

An awkward silence filled the room as both of them had run out of topics to talk about. Sehun had started to tap his feet on the floor to feel in the silence. Baekhyun picked up on certain cues as he watched Sehun from the corner of his eye. The taller looked more relaxed and comfortable unlike when they first met at the hospital during the questioning.

The smaller carefully counted the beats of the faint music in the background before opening his mouth to speak but the ginger-haired man beat him to it.

“What do you work as exactly?”

“Oh…uh, I’m a freelancing book editor. I aspired to be a writer but finding a good publisher is quite hard here so, hopefully, once I get to the city, I can pursue that field.” He explained while Sehun nodded in acknowledgment.

“Found anyone yet?” He asked, eyes glowing slightly with curiosity as he shifted to face the smaller. Baekhyun’s eyes widened at the unexpected question but soon found his composure and let out a small laugh instead.

“I did…until he went missing seven years ago.” He spoke, voice wavering, gaze fixed on his hands. “I still don’t know what happened to him and I believe he’s out there somewhere, _alive_ , waiting for me to find him…”

Baekhyun almost cringed at the whole dialogue but Sehun had seemed to buy it.

“I’m so sorry, hyung. I-I didn’t mean to…” He trailed off when Baekhyun grabbed his hand, eyes glassy, “I need your help to find him…please.” He begged, holding his palms tighter.

At this point, Sehun looked helpless and even uncomfortable but still pulled out his phone, “Give me his name, age, and description.”

“Park Chanyeol, 30, tall, handsome with a deep dimple, dark brown hair, dark eyes–”

“You were _not_ supposed to remember that…”

Sehun’s eerie voice brought shivers down the smaller’s spine and it took every muscle in his body to not twitch.

The _monster_ had just given himself out.

“I’m sorry?” Baekhyun played dumb, trying to see how far the officer would go.

“Nothing– actually there is something…hyung!” He stuttered mindlessly before looking up at him, eyes wide, “Can I touch your forehead?”

Before Baekhyun could respond the man had launched himself closer, familiar dark arm shooting up towards his head.

In a rush, the monster was tackled to the floor, arms pinned above his head as Baekhyun hovered over him. Sehun groaned in pain before trying to break free from the smaller’s iron grip. 

“Didn’t see that coming, didn’t you?” He smirked before getting off of the confused ginger-haired man. His eyes widened in shock once he noticed the figure behind him. His jaw slowly fell open and he spoke quietly under his breath.

As Sehun was about to yell, Chanyeøl, grabbed his collar roughly, claws ripping through his shirt, brushing lightly over his pulse point, “What? Never thought you would see me like this, didn’t you, _fucking asshole_.” He spat harshly while the latter winced. 

“Chanyeol…I-I can explain. I didn’t want things to happen this way.” He tried to justify himself but the tall monster refused to acknowledge any of it.

“I don’t fucking need your explanation.” He slammed him against the floor, “I lost _seven_ years of my life because of you.”

“I didn’t want things to be this way…I SWEAR! I just wanted to live as a human again and I was selfish to use you to gain my freedom…I’m sorry for–”

“I don’t want to hear your sloppy explanation. I know you’re not as powerful as you claimed to be when you visited the oubliette _that night_. All you can do is change into your monster form and attack, which sounds _fucking_ pathetic considering how you could control the wind years ago.” Chanyeol laughed dryly before leaning closer to his face.

“What’s wrong? Did the devils not keep their promise, _Sehün_?’ A smirk formed on Chanyeøl’s lips and although Baekhyun shouldn’t be thinking about how hot his boyfriend looks right now, that’s all he could think about. It hadn’t even clicked that Chanyeøl had used Sehun’s cursed name until the ginger-haired man let out an ear-piercing scream, eyes turning completely black as _tears_ spilled and black ink decorated his cheeks.

He fell to his knees, breathing heavily, the smaller’s boyfriend crouching down to meet the cursed monster’s gaze, “I worked my ass off collecting souls unlike you who killed anyone and everyone for _your_ gain.” 

“P-Please don’t tell Jun... I c-can’t lose him…” He heaved out a breath before leaning forward, hand planted on the floor. A groan left his mouth as he watched his claws appearing and disappearing. “You know the drill then. Lift my curse.” Chanyeøl said nonchalantly, crossing his arms over his chest. “What… Chanyeøl, you know that’s not physically possible for me, I will die!” Sehun cried out loud.

“No, you won’t.” He shook his head, “I’cursed in your dreadful name to be immortal..”

“No…no, I can’t– I can’t live forever!”

“You can and you will live as the immortal monster with no unique powers of his own. Sounds fucking pathetic to me.”

“I thought we were friends–”

“That’s right _fucker_ , we _were_ friends. Seven years ago, before you decided to use me as your stepping stool to kiss the devil’s ass for your gain.”

Sehun lowered his head in shame before bursting into tears but his time instead of black liquid, clear, glossy, human tears fell out of his, washing out all the black residue.

“I guess I’ll see you next week, in Seoul at around _three’ o clock-ish_ when you lift my curse, yeah?” Chanyeøl asked casually making Baekhyun giggle as he circled around to make his way towards the smaller before throwing an arm over his waist, “Oh, and take care of my boyfriend, even though he can take perfectly good care of himself, sometimes he forgets to.” A gasp left his mouth as he smacked the monster’s arm repeatedly.

“I’ll see you at home.” He winked before walking back to the bedroom downstairs.

He watched as Sehun fixed his shirt and wiped his face before pulling himself up onto the couch. Jongdae’s loud laugh resonated through the house as he was pushed out of the kitchen by Junmyeon.

“What took you guys so long?” Baekhyun asked as he watched Junmyeon place different bowls of snacks onto Jongdae’s lap. “What do you mean by so long? It’s barely been twenty minutes.”

Baekhyun’s eyes widened in realization. _The time had slowed down._

“So, what movie did you guys find?”

Chanyeøl had been around Baekhyun the past three days after he had claimed Zäl as the _Queen_.

He was now free of major responsibilities and was preparing himself to leave. 

Zäl had explained that the whole process might take close to a year or so, considering how long it was been since the monster left the world.

Baekhyun knew it was going to be tough on him since he got attached to the tall monster but he stayed hopefully.

On the last day, he had spent time cooking meals for the smaller and watched him eat with a soft smile on his face. 

Baekhyun noticed how clingy the monster got as night time approached. The taller had decided to take him for a drive and Baekhyun gladly agreed.

He tried not to ponder too much on the thought of not being able to physically see the taller and rather pushed it to the back of his head.

They drove around for a while before stopping in front of an empty bridge.

Before Baekhyun could question the taller he had left the car and was picking something out of the trunk. He watched as he circled around to knock on his side of the window, signaling to step out.

A harsh breeze smacked his skin making him shiver as he stepped out. He shut the door behind him and rubbed his arms to stimulate some sort of warmth.

He gasped out as he noticed the stars scattered out in the sky, the moon's reflection shone brightly against the moving waves.

“Beautiful, right?”

Baekhyun nodded unable to form words. He watched as the taller picked up a telescope from behind the car and bought it forward to place it on the ground in front of him. 

“You remembered,” Baekhyun said unable to hide his smile while the taller adjusted the height.

“Of course, I'd remember. I made the promise after all.” He replied as he shrugged off his jacket and draped it over the smaller before pulling him closer to him.

The smaller blushed when he felt the taller's hand brush over his bottom as he picked out his phone. He soon heard a familiar soft melody play from his phone speaker.

Chanyeøl began to sway them slowly, shifting around to have the smaller's head against his chest. He pecked the top of Baekhyun's head before leaning down to check the sky.

“See anything, yet?” Baekhyun asked curiously.

“I think I have to adjust the angle.” He mumbled.

He suddenly gasped as he looked through the scope. “Oh shit! I think I see something!”

Baekhyun tugged on his shirt, “What do you see?” He questioned before squinting at the sky to see a set of stars.

“I think it's _Orion_.” He said as he pulled away to let the smaller take a peek.

“Oh fuck! You're right!” He squealed out before jumping onto the taller's arms excitedly, who then burst into hearty laughter as he held him tightly in his arms.

Baekhyun broke out soft giggles as Chanyeøl leaned his forehead against his before slowly letting him down. His large hands held his small waist tightly as he gazed intently into his eyes. A soft smile lingered on his face as he parted his lips, waiting for the taller to make a move. Baekhyun's hands shifted from his waist to his neck, tugging Chanyeøl closer by his nape.

“C-Can I kiss you?” He stuttered softly, voice barely audible, breath warm against his cold face. Baekhyun's eyes dropped to the taller's thick lips.

He slowly nodded and shut his eyes when he felt Chanyeøl move closer.

The moment he pressed his lips against Baekhyun's, all his worries and doubts began to melt away. It was slow and soft, his mouth moving against his, taking all the time in the world to taste his lips. A soft whimper escaped the smaller's throat when Chanyeøl squeezed his waist to pull him closer. Naturally, Baekhyun's hand left his nape and shifted on to the side of his face. He felt the taller's lip tremble and he frowned as he felt wetness against his cheek and fingers.

They pulled away breathless and Chanyeøl's tear-stained cheeks worried him.

“Yeøl, what's wrong?” He asked, wiping the dark liquid off of his face.

“Sorry, I don't know what got into me.” He chuckled dryly as he wiped his face with his palms. “Let's go inside, you must be feeling cold.” He smiled at him before picking up the telescope. 

After he made sure Baekhyun was inside the car, he went around to place the telescope back into the trunk. Soon, he returned and sat on the driver's seat.

Baekhyun was curious to know why the taller had cried but he realized he didn't want to talk about it since Chanyeøl was barely sparing him a glance.

“Yeøl?”

“Hmm...?”

“When did you learn how to drive?” He asked, hoping the taller can be put off from worrying too much.

“I learned it during my college days. Why?”

“Nothing. I was just curious.” 

“Did you learn to drive?” He asked leaning back in his seat, looking at him with hooded eyes.

Baekhyun shifted uncomfortably in his seat before curtly nodding. He felt his mouth go dry and he swallowed hard, “I-I did but since a few years ago, I started getting all anxious and shaky every time I got behind the wheel. So, I've just stopped driving altogether. I never found out why that happens and it scares me to even find out.”

He felt a warm hand slip into his palm before giving it a tight squeeze. He nodded his head, “I will drive for both of us. You don't have to worry about a thing.”

Baekhyun was taken aback and couldn't help but laugh at his seriousness as Chanyeøl frowned at him. Baekhyun swung his leg over his seat before straddling the taller. He took Chanyeøl's face in his hands, squishing his cheeks in the process before running his thumb over his forehead to flatten out his wrinkles.

He pecked the taller's nose before burying his head at the crook of his neck.

“We have to leave soon...” Chanyeøl announced, his hands still running through the expansion of Baekhyun's broad back.

Baekhyun nodded before getting up and sitting back down on the shotgun seat. Chanyeøl took his hand in his larger ones before bringing it up to his mouth and left open mouth kisses over his knuckles as he started the vehicle.

Baekhyun's heart instantly warmed up at that, his eyes darting to their intertwined hands resting on Chanyeøl's lap as he drove with one hand. 

The smaller hadn't realized he had fallen asleep in the warm vehicle until he felt a pair of lips press against his. His eyes fluttered open to see those beautiful mismatched eyes staring at him.

“We're here.” He announced before helping Baekhyun out of the car.

As they walked towards the entrance of the hospital, he noticed Zäl dressed in casual clothes along with Sehun whoever both standing far away from one another. 

Once they got close enough, Sehun had already started walking towards the door. Zäl encouraged Baekhyun to follow the ginger-haired man while Chanyeøl refused.

However, the female monster had managed to convince the taller before dragging towards the back of the hospital. 

They briskly walked towards the reception desk and the male nurse recognized Baekhyun before questioning his acquaintance. 

Sehun pulled out his ID badge and the nurse quickly escorted them upstairs. This time instead of staying, the nurse waited outside instead.

Baekhyun drew the curtains shut and right on cue the two monsters had crawled out from under the bed.

Zäl quickly rushed to the smaller's side before tugging him down towards the bed.

“Wait! What's going on?” He asked as he escaped from the woman's death grip. “You can't stay here, you have to go,” Zäl replied.

“B-But I want to stay with Chanyeøl...” He turned around to meet the taller's soft gaze.

He stepped closer to cradle his face in his rough palms. “Sehun may or may not be as careful as me while lifting the curse so we wouldn't know how many people are going to be affected by this.” 

Sehun lets out a sound of protest which everyone filtered out.

Baekhyun pouted and nodded slowly, unable to pull away from the taller. Chanyeøl kissed him one last time before stepping away from him, a sad smile on his face.

“I'll come back to you.” He choked out as Baekhyun slipped under the bed.

“I'll wait.” He said as Zäl placed her claw over his eyes before carefully pulling his under the bed.

A loud ringing sound resonated in his ears and a bright light blinded his vision before he was transported under his own bed.

✧


	6. Chapter 6

** CHAP6 **

🔥

_“Chanyeol! Chanyeol! Chanyeol!”_

A cool wind caressed his burning skin as the letters formed out of thin air. 

Hushed whispers of his name got louder as every second passed by to the point of drowning him.

Suddenly a bright light blinded his vision. He could now see multiple colors blending in and separating away. 

Soon, it formed into a familiar scenery. 

He could smell the freshly cut grass and feel the sun's warmth on his face.

“Hey! Chanyeol, over here!”

He turned around to see young Oh Sehun, smiling at him as he waved to come over. Before he could take another step towards him someone had run from beside him towards his friend.

His eyes widened as he recognized his younger self, swinging his arm over the younger male's shoulder. He watched in awe as the two men walked into the college campus, talking and laughing loudly, without giving a care in the world about anybody around them.

The scenery began to melt, colors falling to the ground, pooling at his wavering form before fading out.

_Darkness._

Another beam of light shot through, colors filling up in front of him. Another scene.

He noticed how beautiful the sky and the trees looked during spring. 

Young Chanyeol was seated in the corner of the cafeteria along with Sehun as the latter complained about his economics professor.

However, Chanyeol wasn't paying attention to him. His eyes were fixed on the table in front of him.

He began to float towards the male in front, to get a glimpse of him but had accidentally gotten too close to the taller and got sucked into his body instead.

“Earth to Chanyeol? Are you even listening?” Sehun pouted at him

“Huh? Oh...yeah... that's great man! I'm happy for you.” He said completely unaware of what his best friend was talking about.

Sehun sighed and slowly turned around to look at the table behind him before looking back at Chanyeol with a beat look on his face.

“Just go and ask him out, okay. I heard he's single.”

“W-What? I–”

“You're obvious, Park Chanyeol. Don't even try to lie to me.” He warned before picking on his food.

Chanyeol frowned, “What if he doesn't like me?”

“You wouldn't know that until you ask him.”

“But I'm scared, Sehun...”

“Either you ask or I'll do it.”

“Wait what? You like him too?!” He gasped before leaning forward, ready to punch the man.

“Oh, fuck no! I mean I'll tell him about your little crush.” He explained before gulping down the carton of chocolate milk.

“But I'm–”

“Excuse me?”

Chanyeol whipped his head around way too fast, he had almost snapped his neck.

There stood the beautiful man smiling down at him. He noticed how his eyes twinkled and turned into thin crescents when he smiled.

“I was wondering if you wanted to go out sometime?”

The taller's breath hitched in his throat and he watched the smaller's cheeks turn a rosy pink color. Chanyeol hadn't realized he had been staring at him a bit too long until Sehun smacked his back before laughing.

“Haha! Sorry about my friend here. He's a little–”

“Y-YES!” He yelled out, panicked at what Sehun was going to say. He cleared his throat and spoke again, “I-I mean, yes. I would love to go out with you.”

Chanyeol felt his heart pick up its pace when the smaller's smile widened. He slowly reached for his hand before slipping in a piece of paper and walking away.

Chanyeol threw the paper onto the table before taking in a deep breath and covering his face. He could feel himself heating up so he started to fan himself.

“Byun Baekhyun. That's a cute name, don't you think?”

Chanyeol snatched the paper away from him and shot Sehun a glare.

He looked down to scan the slip of paper and a wide smile formed on his face.

_Byun Baekhyun: +00 23** **** **_

_Meet me at XXX, at 8 pm, Tue. I heard they got good burgers and shakes ;)_

The color began to fade, his form dissociating from his younger self before being surrounded by complete darkness once again.

Warmth surrounded him again and the heat increased as every minute passed by until Chanyeol jerked awake, panting, covered in sweat as he looked around the room.

He almost shat himself when he noticed a looming figure in the corner of the room. He quickly twisted around to turn on the lights.

A gasp left his mouth as he recognized the person he had missed.

“Sehun...where were you? I was worried.” He stood up and walked towards the younger to pull him into a hug.

“Chanyeol...”

“Hmm...?”

“Do you trust me?” The sudden question made him pull away and frown at him.

“Of course I do, dumbass!” He playfully punched him. “Why are you being dramatic?”

Sehun stared at him blankly before mumbling a quiet ‘follow me’ as he proceeded to jump out of his bedroom window.

Chanyeol was rooted in place as confusion set in but he decided to follow him nonetheless, trying not to make the slightest sound as he hopped onto the roof. He slid down onto the ground, his best friend catching him from below before tugging on his hand.

With that, Sehun took off, dragging Chanyeol behind him. The cold wind slapped his skin harshly as he chuckled out a heavy breath, thrill rushing through his body.

He only turned around once they were in the middle of a forest. All he could see was pitch black darkness, surrounding the area behind him. Chanyeol tugged on Sehun's hand for him to stop but the man didn't pay any attention to him.

Suddenly, Chanyeol dug his feet onto the ground but that made him trip and fall on the wet, muddy ground harshly. “Fuck, ow, Sehun stop dragging me! It hurts!”

He could taste blood in his mouth as he ran his tongue over his bottom lip. A dull ache began to form on his arm. He tried to break away from his best friend's grip but the latter kept dragging him through the mud.

“Sehun for the love of God, please STOP!” He yelled, startled by his echo. He grunted before tugging on the younger male's leg making him topple onto the floor. 

With that, Chanyeol took off in the opposite direction. He sensed something was off about his best friend. He looked almost lifeless and mundane; unlike the Sehun he once knew. 

He noticed a slight glow in front of him and dashed towards the source which got bigger and bigger. He stepped into what looked like a cave and noticed a small touch on the floor. He wiped the dirt off of it before the strange carvings present on the walls had caught his attention.

He ran his fingers over the writings and noticed a rose gold symbol shining brightly under the light. It looked out of place since the carvings were in faded dull color.

_“Found you.”_

Chanyeol yelped as he spun around, eyes wide, mouth hanging open as he scanned the _being_ in front of him.

The goth looking monster had a scar through one of his eyes, teeth like nails, claws sharp and point, and skin dark and gritty. He smiled at Chanyeol, blood dripping from his mouth before he dashed forward.

The taller accidentally dropped the touch before running in the opposite direction but hit the wall and fell onto the dirty ground instead. He lets out a scream when he felt sharp pain digging onto his scalp as the _being_ dragged him before slamming his roughly against the wall, claw puncturing through his scalp.

A sharp gasp left his mouth as the dull ache began to settle in his head. His vision started to blur and before he lost consciousness, he saw Sehun, smirking at him.

_“Chanyeol! Chanyeol! Chanyeol!”_

✧

The cold breeze caused a shiver to travel down his spine. He could hear the sounds of the waves crashing but couldn't see anything but darkness in front of him. A soft melody was heard, blending harmoniously with the waves. Soon, the dark sky was painted, followed by the moon and the stars.

His eyes immediately fell on the tall human beside him, scrolling through his music playlist before tucking the gadget back into his pocket.

His heart skipped a beat when the taller's hands snaked around his waist and pulled him closer. His brown curls were tucked under a snapback, eyes dark yet tender as he looked at him. He was dressed in a hoodie and some track pants yet the taller managed to look good.

“One year, huh?” Baekhyun spoke, his voice filled with emotion and fondness.

“I can't believe was stuck with you for an entire year.” Chanyeol deadpanned.

Baekhyun gasped and punched the taller's arm who was now cackling at him before leaning forward to take a peek into the telescope. 

He suddenly lets out a sound before pulling away and asking Baekhyun to take a look. 

The smaller leaned forward and he lets out a surprised sound as he looked at the brightest star.

“That's Sirius, right? We found the Sirius, right?” Baekhyun asked all thrilled and excited.

Chanyeol nodded enthusiastically, “It is, baby! We found it!” He exclaimed before pulling the smaller closer to him. Baekhyun had already expected what was coming so he took off the taller's snapback as he let him kiss him.

He felt his knees go weak and his head spun as he kissed him back, a smile playing on his lips before he tugged him closer by his nape, deepening the kiss.

He felt himself dissociating and he was suddenly pulled away from his own body. He watched as the taller morphed into Chanyeøl, but this time instead of a smile, he could see his swollen cheeks wet with tears. His face switched back into Chanyeol's as he began to pull away.

He watched as Chanyeol picked the smaller up before taking him back into his car as he kissed him softly again. 

Chanyeol carefully undresses him, praises leaving his lips as he devours every part of his body before slowly and sweetly making love to him.

_“I love you, Hyun.”_

That was the last thing he heard before the realm began to shift, the scene around him turned into mist, fading to thin air. Darkness surrounded him again.

He felt the ground disappear beneath his feet for a moment before a cold surface pressed against him.

He looked down to see his feet dangling in the air, a surprising sound leaving his mouth before he looked up straight. He lets out a breath and watched as his warm breath turned into mist.

He pulled out his phone to take a picture of the view in front of him and sent it to his boyfriend.

_My baby: *insert jpg*_

_My baby: this is what you're missing out on >:(_

_My baby: maybe if you were here i would've kissed you..._

_My baby: but you're not and now my lips are cold and sad :'(_

He lets out a deep sigh before tucking his phone back into his pocket. He leaned on the bar, watching the microscopic people run around. His eyes scanned for the man that got him here in the first place but gave up once the ride slowly started to move back down. 

He was disappointed as Chanyeol had turned down the offer when Baekhyun had asked him to join him along with Jongdae.

But he couldn't blame Chanyeol since he knew the latter had been busy with tests and work. So, he knew how much the rest mattered to him.

His phone buzzed again and he shifted his attention on the gadget.

_giant <3: Come here once you're done, I'll kiss you until you're all warmed up :)_

_My baby: no i’m mad at you >:(_

_giant <3: So, no kisses?_

_My baby: no wait! yes..._

_My baby: but just one >:(_

_giant <3: Okay, I'm waiting, baby :)_

Warmth spread across his chest as he bit his lip to stop the smile that was beginning to bloom on his face.

After he got down from the ride, he had spent hours searching for Jongdae. He tried calling the blond but it went straight to voicemail.

Baekhyun hadn't realized he had been walking around for an hour until his stomach lets out a low growl.

He decided to give up on his best friend and prepared himself to go to the nearest food stall but he stopped when his phone began to ring.

His face lit up as he realized it was his boyfriend and picked it up when an unfamiliar voice spoke from the other line. 

“Is this Baekhyun?” The man asked. Baekhyun could hear sirens go off in the background along with people shouting and yelling.

“Y-Yes, it is.” He responded, concerned as to why a stranger was using the taller's phone.

“This is Officer Dong Wu. We're sorry to inform you that your boyfriend was attacked–”

“Where is he? Is he alright?” Panic began to settle inside him, his stomach churning as he bit his lips trying not to cry.

“I'll send in the location of the site and as of for his health...the paramedics are checking on him.” Officer calmly explained.

“I'll be right there!” He quickly hung up and pushed through the crowd, rushing towards his car.

He left Jongdae a message, asking him to grab a cab before driving off, shifting the vehicle roughly onto the road. 

He sped through the bumpy road, tears blurring his vision which he lifted his hand to wipe away. The moment, his hand is off the wheel, an unidentifiable creature ran past the road making him grab the wheel and turning it roughly towards the right.

Due to the narrow and dark roads, the car ended up skidding and crashing onto the tree in front, Baekhyun's head hitting onto the airbag that had burst out. His ears rang and body tingled as he groaned before sitting back up.

His body began to tremble as he cursed out loud, unable to stop the tears. The soft ringing of his ringtone occupied his attention as he fumbled around to pick it up.

“Baekhyun! Where are you–” His best friend yelled out on the other line but the brunette interrupted him.

“Dae...” He sobbed out; phone gripped tightly in his hand.

“Hey... what's wrong? Where are you?” He asked softly, he heard him shuffle around before the background noise got quiet.

He fixed his gaze forward, eyelids starting to feel heavy, “Down the road...” He slurred out, “I-I have to see Chanyeol...” His vision blurred again as he let out a shaky breath.

“Don't move. I'll be right there, okay? We'll go meet Chanyeol together.”

Before the latter hung up, Baekhyun felt darkness take over his vision.

A soft beeping sound filled his ears before he slowly opened his eyes. The bright light made him squint as he groaned and shifted his head as he blinked away the stray tears in his eyes.

He heard a deep chuckle causing him to frown and looked up to see a pair of eyes staring at him. He jolted and sat up straighter and stared at the man in front of him with his eyes wide.

“Chanyeol...”

“Hi, baby? Missed me?” The taller's voice sounded rough. It sounded almost like it hurt to talk.

Baekhyun carefully got onto the bed before hugging the man. An airy chuckle left his mouth as he left Chanyeol's warmth against his body.

“Why didn't you tell me, it was you?” He asked as he pulled away, pouting at the taller.

“You'd probably think I was crazy. There was no way I could've proved that to you. Which is why I was adamant about helping Jongdae before everyone forgot his existence.” He explained, his hands traveled from Baekhyun's nape, down to his lower back.

“Thank you, Yeol.” He pecked the taller's cheeks, a small blush decorating his face.

“I should be thanking you, baby. You did so well.” He smiled at the smaller before bumping their noses together.

“Then I deserve a little something,” Baekhyun said with a mischievous smile.

Chanyeol leaned in to press his dry lips against his, sighing at the feeling before pulling away. 

“I love you, Yeol.” He whispered against his mouth, gaze on his.

Chanyeol's eyes widened at the sudden confession but he recovered quickly before stealing another kiss from the smaller.

“I love you too, Hyun.”


	7. Epilogue

**_2 Years Later_ **

“Holy shit, Soo! This is delicious!” Jongdae hummed in delight as soon as the Carbonara entered his mouth.

“It isn’t… I feel like something’s missing.” Kyungsoo said as he wiped the counter.

“Are you fucking kidding me?! This is literally a copy of the dish!” Jongdae replied before taking another spoonful of spaghetti, smearing the white sauce all over his lips. “No, actually…” He took his time to swallow the food before continuing, “It’s even better.”

Visiting Kyungsoo’s café every day after work had become the best way to de-stress for Baekhyun, especially after the release of his self-published book which caused a hike in his career. Now he was in the middle of writing a book-series after an established publishing company had contacted him, shortly after the release of his book.

A small smile took over Baekhyun’s face as he realized how far he had come but it was quickly replaced with disgust as he realized how horrifying his best friend looked with sauce around his mouth. He yelled at the blond man to clean up before throwing a tissue at him, which he caught with a scowl on his face.

Jongdae had taken six months to fully recover and gain control over his lower limbs. He had exercised, followed various diets, and taken medication to strengthen his muscles again. The primary school he had worked at was happy to welcome him back and the children were thrilled to hear his (heavily exaggerated) story.

Shortly after, he moved out from his parents’ house back to the apartment where Baekhyun and he had stayed, however this time, there was a man who went by the name, _Minseok._

At the time, Baekhyun had tagged along and he wasn’t shocked to see how comfortable his friend had gotten around the stranger. He quickly realized who the shorter male was and wanted to thank him but Jongdae wouldn’t let him, since he was a little too excited to meet his ex-monster friend again.

Baekhyun had teased Jongdae on their car ride back home while the blond just asked him to ‘shut up’, a tint of red blooming on his cheeks.

It took his best friend another six months to finally started dating his roommate and Baekhyun was more than happy for him.

_Jongdae has his life set._

Baekhyun snapped out of his thoughts, turning his head towards the door when the soft bell above it rang.

“Hi everyone, sorry I’m late. The shoot got delayed.” Jongin sighed, unwrapping his scarf from his neck before circling the counter to pull his boyfriend into his arms before sharing a quick kiss. Their rings softly shined, catching Baekhyun’s attention.

Jongin and Kyungsoo were engaged.

It took Jongin a year and a successful modeling career to afford a ring for both of them.

It took a lot of effort and sacrifices on his part to rise in his career. He often had to travel to foreign countries without any rest and sometimes attend shoots with barely two hours of sleep and worst of all, he barely saw Kyungsoo. However, he never let that show out and did his best which left a remarkable impression on the crew and staff members he had worked with.

And, since word spreads like spilled milk, he had become a point of interest among the fashion industry.

Things changed once Gucci had hired him.

It wasn’t the hectic lifestyle he had once gone through. This lifestyle was more peaceful, he had time for himself and his boyfriend, he got enough hours of sleep and to practice dancing.

When Jongin had come back to Korea, Kyungsoo was preparing for his culinary examination.

He had shut his café temporarily to focus solely on the examination and stayed home. The only time the older male would get up from his chair was to eat or use the bathroom. But after his boyfriend’s arrival, he would find himself on the taller’s lap, softly kissing his neck, to let all the stress slip through the pressure of his mouth.

And when he had acquired his license, he made sure to give Jongin a _treat._

The younger male, on the other hand, had decided to pull the ring in the middle of their dinner date; however, he had ruined the moment by fussing over the fact that his boyfriend had spent more time with the chef of the restaurant than him. Kyungsoo had tried to make it up to him but the model was having none of it.

On their way back home, he came to realize how much cooking meant to his boyfriend, considering how he had recently gotten his culinary license to upgrade his café into a restaurant. Unlike Jongin, Kyungsoo never complained about being too busy; he always made time for him even if he had a packed schedule.

Jongin deeply apologized once they reached the front of Kyungsoo’s apartment. The older male was understanding and accepting of his apology before he pulled him in for a kiss while Jongin scrambled to pull the blue velvet box out of his pocket.

And Kyungsoo didn’t complain once he pulled away since it was done privately in the comfort of their car.

_Kyungsoo and Jongin had their lives set._

A loud honk from outside the café made Baekhyun jolt in his seat, he whipped his head around to see a familiar Mercedes Benz parked in the street.

“Oh look, it’s Chanyeollie.” Jongdae teased him, snickering when Baekhyun smacked the back of his head.

Before the smaller could leave, Kyungsoo had handed him a bag of freshly cooked and packed food.

He thanked the doe-eyed man before bidding goodbye to everyone and exiting the café. He sprinted towards the car, trying to reach the warm car as soon as possible.

The taller immediately began to drive as Baekhyun strapped on his seatbelt.

Chanyeol had continued his college again after a year of recovery. His family had visited him a few days after he was awake. Although Baekhyun and Chanyeol (and Jongdae) were the only ones who knew the truth, the rest of the world believed they didn’t forget him. They spoke to him like they knew him from the beginning of this disaster, but the truth was after almost three months of Chanyeol being in a coma, his parents stopped visiting and his family stopped caring. 

Thankfully they had also forgotten about the bank accounts that were linked to hospitals that were funding Chanyeol’s needs. If the accounts were ever revised, Chanyeol wouldn’t even be able to get back to his human life again.

The two boyfriends had moved in together into a bigger apartment than he had lived in. Besides, it was only 10 minutes away from the city which made it easier for the taller to travel. The first week of moving in was just them assembling furniture and sharing innocent kisses which would soon escalate into something more _frisky_.

Baekhyun had complained about his sore back so Chanyeol had quickly finished building the cot before the mattress had arrived so he could be more careful with him.

The second week, they were pretty much set with everything. The only problem left was sorting out their schedules.

By the third week, they had that figured out as well and now, Chanyeol learned that his father had gotten back to taking care of his company. In less than a week, Chanyeol was offered a position which he refused at first but Baekhyun had managed to convince him and he was now working as an intern during the weekends, trying to get a hand at the CEO position.

The car slowed down at the red light and Baekhyun spotted a police vehicle right beside their car.

He was suddenly reminded by the two police officers.

The last time he heard about Sehun was from Junmyeon and how the immortal human had ‘solved’ the mystery of the missing individuals and their severely injured bodies. Sehun had managed to plant shreds of evidence perfectly onto a serial killer who had escaped prison six years ago and was residing in a foreign country.

He was well rewarded for it and he had taken the opportunity to credit his boyfriend, Junmyeon which successfully got him back into the team.

_Junmyeon and Sehun had their lives set._

“We’re here.”

Before Chanyeol could exit the car, Baekhyun pulled him down for a kiss. He realized how silent his boyfriend has throughout the ride. Usually, he would be bubbling up with energy, talking about what he did in college, about his classes, his basketball practice, and how he had received a lot of confessions from both girls and boys since he was the son of Park Resorts just to get a reaction out of Baekhyun.

The silence made him worried. “Is everything okay?” he asked as he pulled away.

Chanyeol opened his mouth to speak but shut it quickly before letting out a tired sigh. He shook his head.

“Do you want to talk about it, Yeol?”

He nodded before pointing towards their apartment building and Baekhyun immediately exited the car. They made their way towards their apartment, the smaller’s hand holding Chanyeol’s tightly, running his thumb across his finger in a comforting manner. The couple stumbled into their apartment once the taller unlocked the door. They kick off their shoes and shrug off their coats before making their way to the bedroom.

“Shower?” Baekhyun asked, but his boyfriend shook his head while stripping out of his clothes and tossing his snapback onto the bedside table.

The smaller instantly got the hint and went in first to prepare a bath for both of them.

A content sigh left Chanyeol’s lips as he stepped into the warm lavender-scented bubble bath, his body, instantly relaxing. His back was pressed against Baekhyun’s chest, who worked on unknotting the tension on his muscles. He even helped to wash Chanyeol’s body and hair, pressing his lips against his skin whenever he could; nothing too heavy or deep, just light and feather-like kisses.

By the time they step out of the shower, Chanyeol felt like he was floating.

He had a pout on his lips, eyes drowsy and unfocused while the smaller helped him dress up and toweled his hair. Before leaving their bedroom to heat leftovers for them to eat, Baekhyun planted a kiss on his cheek, a soft smile gracing his lips as he looked down at his boyfriend.

When Baekhyun called the taller in for dinner, he noticed his puffy eyes and reddened cheek and nose. He deeply frowned at the sight while Chanyeol took his seat across him, keeping his gaze down. The smaller took his seat and served both of them while patiently waiting for his boyfriend to speak.

And finally, he does.

“My family wants to meet you this weekend.”

Baekhyun froze on the spot, eyes wide and, mouth hanging open. He knew his parents were not aware of their relationship until recently when they had visited Chanyeol while he was recovering. However, they did know that their son found men appealing.

And, they were not too happy about it.

“T-That’s great! They’re giving us a chance, Yeollie.” Baekhyun reached out to grab his hand, squeezing it. But, Chanyeol pulled away shaking his head.

“You don’t understand, Hyun. My father had disapproved of my sexuality years ago and now, after I finally had the courage to tell him about us, I feel like he’s just calling us in to hurt you and scare you away,” his voice wavered as he looked up to meet the smaller’s soft gaze, “…and I don’t want that for you.” A sob escaped his throat as tears streamed down his cheeks. His hands shot up to cover his face.

Baekhyun quickly stood from his seat and walked over to his boyfriend, gently pushing the taller’s head against his chest while softly whispering sweet nothings to comfort him.

Once Chanyeol had calmed down, Baekhyun took his hands away from his face, holding them in his before kissing away his stray tears. “I’ve already gone through a scary time, Yeol. A homophobe is nothing compared to that.” He kissed the back of his calloused hands tenderly before adding, “And the minute your dad disrespects you, we’re leaving without turning back.”

The smaller’s heart calmed when he saw his lover’s face light up before he let out an airy chuckle. The taller pulled him down to capture his lips while Baekhyun giggled against his mouth.

✧

The day has finally arrived and Chanyeol and Baekhyun were in a hurry to get ready. They spent their entire day lazing around and laying on the bed together. The only time they got up was to take a shower (even that they did it together so they could ‘save water and time’), order food, eat the food, and to use the bathroom.

Their minds had been so relaxed to the point they had forgotten about the little trip to Chanyeol’s parents’ house until the taller got a call from his older sister, Yoora while the both of them were in the middle of _something._

“Noona?” He placed his phone on speaker mode and set it on his bedside table before grabbing his boyfriend by the waist and softly kissing him on their bed. His huge hands traveled down to intertwine with his small ones before bringing it above his head.

“Why aren’t you here, yet? My husband and I are stuck here alone with mom and dad!” She whisper-yelled over the phone. Muffled voices were heard in the background and Baekhyun quickly pulled away as soon as his ears picked up Mr. Park’s voice.

The couple locked eyes, sharing a _oh-we’re-fucked_ gaze before scrambling off the bed.

“Don’t tell me you two are making out there, leaving us to die here! Even though dad called all of us, you’re the main guy here, Chanyeol!” The older woman yelled, the voices in the background fading out and the soft whistles of the wind were picked by the mic instead.

Chanyeol rolled his eyes causing Baekhyun to snicker a little too loudly.

“You’re the main guy too, Byun. Don’t think he’s alone in this.” 

That shut Baekhyun up immediately while the taller shot him a smug smile.

“We’ll be there in thirty, noona.”

“Make it _five._ I can’t stand his business talks anymore!”

Chanyeol chuckled at that before mumbling ‘okay’. Before he could hang up, his sister spoke again,

“Chanyeol-ah…”

“Hmm?”

“I’m here for you, okay?”

A smile adorned his face as he responded, “I know, noona.”

“Good. Now, hurry up. Otherwise, I’m never talking to you again.” With that, his sister hung up.

Baekhyun peaked up at his boyfriend who snickered and pulled him closer, attacking the smaller’s neck with kisses. A whine left Baekhyun’s mouth as he pushed him away. However, the taller’ s death grip on his waist made him rooted in place.

“Yeollie, we have to get ready.” He mewled, tugging on the taller’s hair, biting back a moan when he felt his wet tongue against his skin. Chanyeol hummed in response, lightly biting the area between his shoulder and neck before pulling away.

Finally, after more stolen kisses and fond smiles, they stumble into the bathroom to fix their messy hair, moisturize each other’s faces and cover up whatever marks they had left on one another.

In no time, they were dressed and settled in the car. On the way to his parent’s house, Baekhyun insisted on stopping by to get some gifts for his parents even though the taller said it was unnecessary. Baekhyun ended up buying some wine, a box of sweets, and a neatly packed carton of fruits. 

When the smaller had made his way to the car along with the worker (who had offered to help him with the carton box), Chanyeol was stunned at the effort his boyfriend had taken. He watched as he bowed politely, thanking the older worker before settling back into his car.

“You know you don’t have to do this, right?” He said as he started the engine again, pulling the vehicle back to the road.

“I know but I do want to give them something since it’s my first time meeting them.”

Chanyeol sighed and nodded. He slipped his hand in his, bringing it up to kiss his knuckles before letting their hands rest on his lap. 

The rest of the ride was filled with soft music playing on the radio, their voices blending in and dominating the artist’s voice.

When Chanyeol had pulled up in front of the tall fancy looking gate, Baekhyun’s jaw dropped as he eyed the mansion, the topiary and flower beds that decorated his front lawn along with translucent lights which radiated a soft glow across the path towards his house.

“ _Holy shit!_ You’re rich, Yeol!” He yelled, unable to look away from the flashy sight.

Chanyeol laughed at his statement humorously, “Baby, I thought you already knew that.”

“Well…yes I did but I didn’t know you were _this_ rich!” He exclaimed before taking in a sharp breath, the stress finally getting to him. He knew had picked up appropriate gifts for his family but for some reason, his brain had decided to put out every possible scenario of Chanyeol’s parents rejecting his gifts and rejecting _him._

The differences in status had finally dwelled on him and it scared him thinking about what his father was capable of. He could ruin both their lives with a snap of his fingers. He had never given it much thought before since the both of them had been independent and now, he’s suddenly overwhelmed by the mere thought.

“Baekhyun, hey…is everything okay?”

The taller’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he looked to the side to see his boyfriend looking at him with a worried gaze. Baekhyun cleared his throat and nodded, forcing a smile, “Yeah. Just a little scared I guess.” He laughed nervously, trying not to worry about his boyfriend.

“We can go back if you’d like–”

Before he could even complete his question, a harsh knock against Chanyeol’s window made them jump in surprise. Chanyeol rolled the window down and there Yoora stood with a death-stare.

“Fuck, you scared us.”

“I don’t care, now get the fuck out and go in! I’ve been standing here like a fool waiting for the both of to get out of the car for at least a good twenty minutes.” The older scolded while the two men unfastened their seatbelts and stepped out but not before taking the gifts they had bought along.

Yoora motioned towards one of the servants to pick up the heavy carton box while Chanyeol and Baekhyun held the rest of the items. They walked along the pathway towards the mansion, his heart beating harder at every step he took. 

_There was no going back, now._

He could make out a silhouette of a female in front and as he got closer, he could finally see the face; Mrs. Park. His mother had stepped out of the house to take his son into her warm embrace.

“I missed you so much, son. It’s good to see you again.”

Chanyeol simply smiled at her before leaning down to kiss her cheek. He then turned towards Baekhyun, slipping his hand into his before pulling him closer to him.

“Mom, this is Baekhyun. My boyfriend.”

“Ah! Finally, I get to meet him!” His mother cheered before pulling the smaller into her arms and Baekhyun instantly hugged her back, feeling the weight lift off his shoulders.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Park.” He bowed down before handing out the box of sweets to the older woman, “I heard these sweets are your favorite. So, I’ve gotten them for you.” He said, sounding almost robot-like. The woman laughed gracefully, bringing her hand up to cover her mouth. “You don’t have to be so formal with me, Baekhyun. Treat me like your own mom.” 

Baekhyun shyly nodded and was going to respond when an authoritative voice interrupted him.

“You’re late, aren’t you?”

Baekhyun felt Chanyeol’s grip tighten around his hand making him shift his attention on the taller who had a frown on his face, his eyebrow twitching in anger.

“Yeollie…” He whispered only for Chanyeol to hear as he ran his thumb across the taller’s knuckles, trying to calm him. His boyfriend’s face instantly softened and he exhaled a breath before speaking, “Yes father. Sorry for being late.”

Mr. Park simply turned on his heel before motioning them to come in. Yoora’s husband waved at the couple and offered a friendly smile but Chanyeol’s father curtly called his name, making him quickly turn back and join the old man. Yoora had given Baekhyun an apologetic smile before walking forward to join her husband’s side.

They enter inside the house and Baekhyun is amazed at the modernized house with a dash of minimalist tones. He noticed that there was a chandelier almost in every room that he had walked into. He had butterflies in his stomach when he had entered teenager Chanyeol’s room, posters of TVXQ were scattered on his wall along with stickers of animals and musical instruments. 

After the house tour, the attendants guided them towards the dinner table. Baekhyun’s mouth watered as he eyed the various dishes presented on the table but he kept himself composed. They all sit down after Chanyeol’s father sat down. Baekhyun took the opportunity to offer the wine to his father which he asked one of the attendants to take away. They slowly began to dig in with a silence weighing heavily in the air.

However, that silence is soon broken.

“Thank you for inviting us, Sir. It’s a pleasure.” Baekhyun spoke up which surprised everyone at the table. The smaller only caught onto their terrified gazes after a while but by that time Mr. Park replied, “We don’t talk at dinner, Byun. But since you’re our guest, I can make an exception.”

“Right…my apologies.” He said, cheeks red before fixing his gaze on his plate, eating quietly with his head down.

After an awkward meal, they were led towards the spacious living room where they all settle down on the couch while another set of heavy air floats in. Baekhyun watched Chanyeol’s father’s movements like a hawk, his eyes falling on the brown stick he had fished out of his pocket. He placed it between his lips before lighting it and dragging a puff of smoke.

“So, Baekhyun,” He started as he sat down across from them while Baekhyun sat up straighter. “What do you do for a living?”

“I’m an author, Sir. I am currently under a publishing company, working on a book series.” He answered while the man nodded in response.

“How did you two meet?” He pointed at the couple with his cigar and he could hear Chanyeol click his tongue in disapproval but the smaller quickly spoke up before he could bring it up.

“We go way back, Sir. I met Chanyeol in college during our second year in our campus cafeteria. He sparked an interest in me, so, I decided to ask him out.” He replied.

“D-Did you just say college?” Chanyeol’s mother took up their attention and Baekhyun froze in his spot. He looked up at Chanyeol thinking he had a slip-up but the taller looked composed.

“Y-Yes.”

“Chanyeol, you never told us about this.” His father shifted his gaze from the smaller to his son. The taller scoffed, crossing his hands over his chest before leaning back on the couch, “I tried to but that’s when you shut me down, father.”

“The least you could’ve done was tell your mother then.”

“I wanted to tell her but did you let me meet her that night? I had to go and stay at Sehun’s house because you wouldn’t let me in!” He spat harshly, his jaw tightening as he glared at the old man.

“Your sister–“

“I already knew.”

“What?!”

“Yeah, he told me way before he told you guys because he _knew_ how you were going to react, dad.”

Chanyeol’s father exhaled out the smoke as he shook his head, “Moving on,” he disposed of the cigar before fishing out a new one, “What about your family, Baekhyun?”

_Fuck._

He had expected this question at some point but he wasn’t exactly prepared for it. Suddenly, a warm hand slipped into his, and Chanyeol sat up straighter beside him, but before he could speak on his behalf, Baekhyun interrupted him.

“I don’t have a place in my family anymore.”

“Oh? And why is that?”

“They didn’t want anything to do with a homosexual son, so, I’ve been living with my best friend’s family.”

“So, were you free hoarding?” he asked, lighting another cigar, barely sparing him a glance.

“Honey…”

“Dad…”

Both the woman turned to face the old man with a frown on their face.

“I’m just asking–”

“Father, if you’re going to insult my boyfriend, we’ll take our leave. This visit wasn’t too pleasant anyways.” He stood up to leave but Baekhyun tugged him down, almost pulling him down onto his lap.

“Yeol, It’s okay.” He turned to face his father’s intimidating gaze, “No, Sir. I wasn’t free hoarding. Since I couldn’t work at the young age of fifteen, I did help around the house. Once I turned eighteen, I began to work part time jobs to fund for my higher studies, and later, after I had moved out along with my best friend, I made sure that every ounce of the money I made reached their hands not because they wanted the money.” 

He paused to take in a deep breath, “I did it because it was the least I could to do for taking me in as their son.” Baekhyun’s voice broke in the end but he cleared his throat and quickly blinked his tears away. A warm hand wrapped around his waist, he looked up to see Chanyeol with a concerned gaze. Baekhyun shot him a small smile and mouthed ‘I’m fine’ before placing his hand on the taller’s knee.

“My apologies, Baekhyun. I didn’t mean to offend you.” Mr. Park apologized, bowing his head slightly, “I’m sorry for what had happened. It would’ve been so tough for you.”

Baekhyun nodded, acknowledging the apology, “It’s alright, Sir. I understand your concern. I’m not here for your son’s money if that’s what you are worried about.” Baekhyun could hear Yoora’s husband curse under his breath while the woman pinched his leg making him wince. He could feel Chanyeol’s and his mother’s eyes boring at the side of his head.

When a fit of laughter broke through the silence, everyone’s attention was now on the older man, who had his head thrown back, his shoulder shaking uncontrollably.

“That straight-forward attitude of yours, I _like_ that, Baekhyun.” He crushed the rest of the cigar onto the glass tray beside his chair before standing up before calling over an attendant. He leaned over to whisper something and the man nodded and left the room.

Soon, he walked in with a tray of wine glasses along with the bottle of wine Baekhyun had gotten. Mr. Park took the initiative to pop the bottle open and serve everyone a glass of wine.

They were confused by the old man’s strange antics.

“I appreciate you coming here with your partner, Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol nodded in response before taking a sip of his drink.

“I know I wasn’t the best nor the most supportive parent when you came out to me. I have to admit that I was afraid…of what other people might think since we have a reputation to hold.” He paused to take a sip from his glass, “but then I realized what more should I care about than my son’s happiness.”

Chanyeol’s breath hitched in his throat as he looked up at his father, eyes wide and glassy before he swallowed audibly.

“I’m sorry for putting you through a tough time. I really am. I’m glad you found someone that makes you happy, especially a sweet young man like him.” Mr. Park smiled while pointing at Baekhyun making the smaller feel proud. 

“It was thoughtful of you to bring us gifts, despite the differences in our status. You’ve got some good manners, young man!” 

“Thank you, Sir. You’re too nice.”

The older man walked towards both of them, who quickly rose from their seats. A surprised yelp and a short gasp left Baekhyun’s and Chanyeol’s mouths while Mr. Park pulled them in for a hug.

“No matter what, you’ll always be my son.” He whispered to Chanyeol before patting his back and pulling away. “And, Baekhyun, thank you for making my son happy and teaching him how to live on his own. He was a spoiled little brat when he was younger, however, I do notice a lot of changes in his behavior and he did get humbler.”

Baekhyun snickered and mumbled a quiet ‘thank you’ while bowing down. Meanwhile, Chanyeol had burst into tears, silently crying. His father laughed before pulling his son into a hug again.

The rest of the evening is spent with them talking about Chanyeol and his younger self, pulling up a whole album filled with pictures of the taller being a cute, stupid little child.

Once it got late. They had announced their departure before bidding goodbye to everyone and leaving.

On their ride back home, they had faint smiles on their faces as they replayed the events that just occurred in the house, hands intertwined while softly humming along to the songs playing on the radio. 

“That went well, didn’t it?” Baekhyun asked, turning to face the taller. 

Chanyeol laughed before stealing a glance, “Kudos to you, I guess. You left a _remarkable_ impression on my family, Byun.” 

Baekhyun giggled quietly before shifting his gaze down onto his lap where their intertwined hands rested. 

“Yeollie…”

“Hmm?”

“Thank you for taking me home. I had fun.” He spoke in hushed tones before leaning across to plant a kiss on the taller’s cheek making the latter gasp softly.

“Baby, I’m driving!” he caught his breath surprised by his boyfriend’s sudden action.

“And I just wanted to _thank_ you.” He shrugged, biting back his smile.

“Well, we have the rest of the night ahead of us. You can _thank_ me all you want.” He squeezed the smaller’s hand before shooting him a wink, making Baekhyun blush.

“You’re a _perv._ ”

“But you love me.”

A fond smile took over his lips as he looked over at the taller, who stole a few glances, waiting for his response as he started to slow down the vehicle. 

“Yeah. I do.” He whispered before Chanyeol tugged him forward to steal a quick kiss. He pulled away to stare at him lovingly, making his boyfriend whine and push his chest but Chanyeol didn’t move away. With a deep chuckle leaving his chest, he bridged the gap between them to capture the smaller’s lips, kissing him passionately before pulling away.

“I love you, too.”

Although the couple didn't know where life was going to lead them, they knew they would stick around for each other, no matter the situation.

_Chanyeol and Baekhyun had their lives_ set.

END.


End file.
